Can I pause Autopilot without leaving?

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. People ask for a pause button usually for one of three reasons, and each has a different right answer. Two of them are better than pausing.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

What you probably actually want

If you want less exposure, lower the allocation. That sells down to the new level and leaves the rest running. It's reversible and it doesn't require talking to anyone.

If you want to stop a specific name from being traded, blacklisting it excludes it from future purchases and the Portfolio rebalances using the available funds across the other positions. That's described in Selling by hand while you follow.

If you want out of the strategy but not out of the market, switch Portfolios rather than pausing. Sitting in cash is a market call, and people who make it by accident usually make it at the worst time.

If you want everything to stop

Two routes, with different consequences.

Deleting the Portfolio sells the holdings and returns the funds to your brokerage account. That's the delete or sell-all option on the Portfolio card, and only do it if you mean to sell.

If you want a Portfolio removed without selling the holdings, the help center says to ask a human agent, because the app's own delete option sells. Message support in the app chat.

Revoking the brokerage connection also stops everything, since trading pauses while disconnected. It's blunter and it leaves positions where they are.

What a pause costs you

While nothing is running, the Portfolio keeps changing without you. When you reconnect or re-allocate, your account moves toward the Portfolio's targets in one go, which can mean several orders at once and, in a taxable account, several taxable events you didn't schedule.

That's the real cost of pausing. It isn't neutral; it's a decision to be out of the strategy for a while and then buy back in at whatever the prices are then.

The honest advice

If you're thinking about pausing because the market is down, that's the moment the arithmetic is worst. I want to be honest with you. Some Portfolios go up for years. Some are flat for years. If a drawdown is making you want a pause button, the actual problem is usually that the allocation is bigger than your tolerance, and lowering it permanently is a better fix than stopping and starting. The full set of options is in How to reduce, withdraw, stop or leave.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pause Autopilot?

There are better versions of what you want: lower the allocation, blacklist a specific name, or switch Portfolios. To stop entirely, delete the Portfolio, which sells, or ask support to remove it without selling.

How do I stop Autopilot from trading temporarily?

Revoking the brokerage connection pauses all trading and leaves positions where they are. When you reconnect, your account catches up to the Portfolio in one go.

Can I stop following a portfolio without selling?

Ask a human agent in the app chat. The app's delete option sells the holdings, so it's not the route for this.

How do I take a break from Autopilot?

Consider lowering the allocation instead. Pausing means the Portfolio changes without you and you buy back in at whatever prices exist when you return, plus any tax consequences of the round trip.

Start Investing

Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Selling positions may create taxable events in taxable accounts. Timing and settlement are handled by your brokerage. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice.