By default, YouTube stops video playback immediately after you lock your phone and turn off the screen. Changing this behavior is quite difficult. The ability to listen to the video was not originally included in the YouTube application. There is no specific setting to change this behavior. The reason for this behavior is trying to get users to watch ads. However, we managed to find several options for playing YouTube videos with the screen off.
Use a web browser
The easiest way to listen to YouTube videos without a paid subscription is to use a free web browser. For the task at hand, the Mozilla Firefox application is perfect. The advantage of this method is that it should work on all devices.
Algorithm of actions:
- Download Mozilla Firefox browser by link… Previously, it was possible to perform the same operation in Google Chrome, but the company has fixed the opportunity to increase the sales of paid subscriptions.
- Open site Youtube… Be sure to open it in a browser, not in an application.
- Click once on the three dots in the upper right corner and activate the “Version for PC” option.
- Start playback, and lock the screen. Sound will continue to come from the speakers.
Important! If you click on the YouTube link, it can open through the official app. To prevent this from happening, you should touch the link (while holding your finger for a couple of seconds) and select “Open in a new tab”.
NewPipe
It is an open source YouTube video background playback application. The program is quite easy to use and uncomplicated, but it is absent in the vastness of Google Play. This is not surprising, because the utility undermines the premium subscription of the service. An alternative would be another app store F-Droid… All programs posted here are open source and free. The service also supports automatic updating of installed applications.
An important condition for the implementation of the procedure is to allow installation of the application from unknown sources. The specified parameter will have to be enabled manually in the security settings on the smartphone.
What to do next:
- Go to the site F-Droid and install their application.
- Start downloading the software product.
- The installation should start on its own. If this does not happen, you should open the “Downloads” folder through the explorer or browser and click on the apk file.
- To find NewPipe from the list of available applications. It will take time to get the catalog, you will have to be patient.
- Click on the “Install” button and wait for the completion of the procedure.
- Go to the “General” YouTube video settings in NewPipe and select the “Switch to background” option. The video will continue to play even after the screen is locked.
Audiopocket
The advantage of the Audiopocket app is that you don’t have to abandon the Play Store to use it. Its peculiarity lies in the ability to convert YouTube videos to a regular mp3 track. As you know, a music file can be easily played even in the background.
To listen to YouTube videos in the background with the display off, you should:
- Install Audiopocket with Google Play Store…
- Launch the YouTube app.
- Find the video from the list that should be played in the background.
- Tap the three dots below it and select the Share option.
- Select from the list of available transfer applications – Audiopocket.
- Wait for the end of converting from video to mp Immediately after moving to the clipboard, the music will start playing.
YouTube Premium Subscription
A paid subscription has 2 main advantages compared to using the service for free: no ads and the ability to listen to videos even with a locked smartphone. Access to background content will cost about 500 rubles, but there are promotions and discounts.
How to play YouTube in the background on iOS?
For iPhone users, the above methods (except for a premium subscription) will not work. On iOS, the procedure is no easier, but even on Apple OS there is a workaround to achieve the goal. The price to achieve this goal will be to ditch the Safari browser and use an alternative web browser instead.
Detailed instructions:
- Download a suitable browser for iPhone, it can be Opera or Dolphin…
- Launch the newly installed browser and go to the mobile version of YouTube. Be sure to stay in your web browser without going to the app.
- If you play the video now and switch to another application or lock the screen, the video will stop. For now, it’s appropriate to use a trick: open the music player and press the play sound key.
Now, even after changing the active application or turning off the display, the video will continue to play, since playback is not caused by YouTube, but by a music player that can work in the background.