diff --git a/static/js/tippyjs.js b/static/js/tippyjs.js
index dc85b80319..36a115fbdf 100644
--- a/static/js/tippyjs.js
+++ b/static/js/tippyjs.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ tippy.setDefaultProps({
     // Some delay to showing / hiding the tooltip makes
     // it look less forced and more natural.
     delay: [100, 20],
-    placement: "auto",
+    placement: "top",
 
     // disable animations to make the
     // tooltips feel snappy
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ export function initialize() {
 
     delegate("body", {
         target: ".compose_control_button",
-        placement: "top",
         // Add some additional delay when they open
         // so that regular users don't have to see
         // them unless they want to.
@@ -120,7 +119,6 @@ export function initialize() {
 
     delegate("body", {
         target: ".message_control_button",
-        placement: "top",
         // Add some additional delay when they open
         // so that regular users don't have to see
         // them unless they want to.
@@ -154,7 +152,6 @@ export function initialize() {
 
     delegate("body", {
         target: ".message_time",
-        placement: "top",
         appendTo: () => document.body,
         onShow(instance) {
             const time_elem = $(instance.reference);
@@ -170,7 +167,6 @@ export function initialize() {
 
     delegate("body", {
         target: ".recipient_row_date > span",
-        placement: "top",
         appendTo: () => document.body,
         onHidden(instance) {
             instance.destroy();
@@ -182,14 +178,12 @@ export function initialize() {
     // box or it is not limited by the parent container.
     delegate("body", {
         target: [".recipient_bar_icon", ".sidebar-title", "#user_filter_icon"],
-        placement: "top",
         appendTo: () => document.body,
     });
 
     delegate("body", {
         target: ".rendered_markdown time",
         allowHTML: true,
-        placement: "top",
         appendTo: () => document.body,
         onHidden(instance) {
             instance.destroy();
diff --git a/static/templates/left_sidebar.hbs b/static/templates/left_sidebar.hbs
index ee1e328dcf..648047d4b6 100644
--- a/static/templates/left_sidebar.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/left_sidebar.hbs
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@
         </ul>
         <div id="streams_list" class="zoom-out">
             <div id="streams_header" class="zoom-in-hide"><h4 class="sidebar-title" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Filter streams' }} (q)">{{t 'STREAMS' }}</h4>
-                <span class="tippy-zulip-tooltip streams_inline_cog_wrapper hidden-for-spectators" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Add streams' }}" data-tippy-placement="top">
+                <span class="tippy-zulip-tooltip streams_inline_cog_wrapper hidden-for-spectators" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Add streams' }}">
                     <i id="streams_inline_cog" class='fa fa-plus' aria-hidden="true" ></i>
                 </span>
-                <i class="streams_filter_icon fa fa-filter tippy-zulip-tooltip" aria-hidden="true" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Filter streams' }} (q)" data-tippy-placement="top"></i>
+                <i class="streams_filter_icon fa fa-filter tippy-zulip-tooltip" aria-hidden="true" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Filter streams' }} (q)"></i>
                 <div class="input-append notdisplayed stream_search_section">
                     <input class="stream-list-filter home-page-input" type="text" autocomplete="off" placeholder="{{t 'Filter streams' }}" />
                     <button type="button" class="btn clear_search_button" id="clear_search_stream_button">
diff --git a/static/templates/message_controls.hbs b/static/templates/message_controls.hbs
index c3b169d1ed..c8cbcc928e 100644
--- a/static/templates/message_controls.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/message_controls.hbs
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     {{/unless}}
 
     <div class="message_failed message_control_button {{#unless msg.failed_request}}notvisible{{/unless}}">
-        <i class="fa fa-refresh refresh-failed-message tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Retry' }}" data-tippy-placement="top" aria-label="{{t 'Retry' }}" role="button" tabindex="0"></i>
-        <i class="fa fa-times-circle remove-failed-message tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Cancel' }}" data-tippy-placement="top" aria-label="{{t 'Cancel' }}" role="button" tabindex="0"></i>
+        <i class="fa fa-refresh refresh-failed-message tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Retry' }}" aria-label="{{t 'Retry' }}" role="button" tabindex="0"></i>
+        <i class="fa fa-times-circle remove-failed-message tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Cancel' }}" aria-label="{{t 'Cancel' }}" role="button" tabindex="0"></i>
     </div>
 
     {{#unless msg/locally_echoed}}
diff --git a/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs b/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
index b0f152d045..1e0c592935 100644
--- a/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/recent_topic_row.hbs
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
                 <div class="recent_topic_actions">
                     <div class="recent_topics_focusable">
                         {{#if topic_muted}}
-                        <i class="fa fa-bell-slash on_hover_topic_unmute recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Unmute topic' }}" data-tippy-placement="top" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Unmute topic' }}"></i>
+                        <i class="fa fa-bell-slash on_hover_topic_unmute recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Unmute topic' }}" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Unmute topic' }}"></i>
                         {{else}}
-                        <i class="fa fa-bell-slash on_hover_topic_mute recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Mute topic' }}" data-tippy-placement="top" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Mute topic' }}"></i>
+                        <i class="fa fa-bell-slash on_hover_topic_mute recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Mute topic' }}" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Mute topic' }}"></i>
                         {{/if}}
                     </div>
                     <div class="recent_topics_focusable">
-                        <i class="fa fa-check-circle on_hover_topic_read recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Mark as read' }}" data-tippy-placement="top" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Mark as read' }}"></i>
+                        <i class="fa fa-check-circle on_hover_topic_read recipient_bar_icon tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-stream-id="{{stream_id}}" data-topic-name="{{topic}}" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Mark as read' }}" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="{{t 'Mark as read' }}"></i>
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
@@ -32,17 +32,17 @@
     <td class='recent_topic_users'>
         <ul class="recent_topics_participants">
             {{#if other_senders_count}}
-            <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{other_sender_names}}" data-tippy-placement="top" data-tippy-allowHtml="true">
+            <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{other_sender_names}}" data-tippy-allowHtml="true">
                 <span class="recent_topics_participant_overflow">+{{other_senders_count}}</span>
             </li>
             {{/if}}
             {{#each senders}}
                 {{#if this.is_muted}}
-                <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Muted user'}}" data-tippy-placement="top">
+                <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{t 'Muted user'}}">
                     <span><i class="fa fa-user recent_topics_participant_overflow"></i></span>
                 </li>
                 {{else}}
-                <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{this.full_name}}" data-tippy-placement="top">
+                <li class="recent_topics_participant_item tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{this.full_name}}">
                     <img src="{{this.avatar_url_small}}" class="recent_topics_participant_avatar" />
                 </li>
                 {{/if}}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
         </ul>
     </td>
     <td class="recent_topic_timestamp">
-        <div class="last_msg_time tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{this.full_last_msg_date_time}}" data-tippy-placement="top">
+        <div class="last_msg_time tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{this.full_last_msg_date_time}}">
             {{ last_msg_time }}
         </div>
     </td>
diff --git a/static/templates/user_info_popover_content.hbs b/static/templates/user_info_popover_content.hbs
index 780b491053..3e2327e4a7 100644
--- a/static/templates/user_info_popover_content.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/user_info_popover_content.hbs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
                 {{#if is_bot}}
                 <i class="zulip-icon zulip-icon-bot" aria-hidden="true"></i>
                 {{else}}
-                <span class="{{user_circle_class}} user_circle popover_user_presence tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{user_last_seen_time_status}}" data-tippy-placement="top"></span>
+                <span class="{{user_circle_class}} user_circle popover_user_presence tippy-zulip-tooltip" data-tippy-content="{{user_last_seen_time_status}}"></span>
                 {{/if}}
             {{/if}}
         </li>