YouTube is one of the most diverse content platforms in the world and it’s easy to find tutorials, TV shows and even the latest music videos. But it’s not just about watching — sometimes all you want to do is listen to YouTube in the background while you do something else on your phone.
Closing the YouTube app will stop the video from playing, but there are a few simple workarounds that will allow you to keep the video playing in the background – on both iPhone and Android phones. Even better, there are ways to get a mini pop-up YouTube player while you browse elsewhere. This is our simple guide on how to play YouTube in the background, for iPhone and Android devices.
Looking for music on YouTube to listen to in the background? Check out our guide on how to download music from YouTube and listen to it on any device.
How to play videos in the background with YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is a subscription service that gets rid of ads on desktop and mobile, opens up access to exclusive videos, and allows video downloads. But crucially for our purposes, it also lets you keep watching YouTube in the background after you turn off your phone’s screen or switch to another app. There are no steps to turn it on because it’s on by default, so as long as you have YouTube Premium, it should work just fine.
YouTube Premium also comes with ad-free access to YouTube Music and gives you the option to turn off the screen in that app. What’s the problem? As you might expect, it’s money. YouTube Premium will cost you $12 a month, or $23 a month for a family plan for up to six members — but you can get a one-month free trial. The YouTube app is available for Android and iPhone.
While the extra cost isn’t ideal, this is simply the most convenient way to play YouTube in the background on your iPhone or Android phone.
How to play YouTube videos in the background (iPhone browsers)
But what if you want to play YouTube videos in the background on your iPhone beige paying for Premium? This is where web browsers come into play.
While turning off the screen and continuing to listen to YouTube is a no-no in Safari and Chrome, it is possible to use Apple’s Control Center with certain other browsers to bypass YouTube’s restrictions. Firefox and Opera are two browsers that definitely work with this method, and we recommend that you try any other iPhone browser that you like better.
Here’s how you can run this method.
Step 1: First, go to YouTube from your browser of choice. If Google redirects you to the application from Firefox, try typing youtube.com directly into the URL bar.
Step 2: Then search for the selected video.
Step 3: Once you’ve found and opened your video, switch to the desktop version of the site.
This will vary depending on the browser you are using, but is usually accessed from Possibilities button in the lower right corner, followed by tapping on Desktop page option.
Step 4: Play your video. You may have to wait for the ads to stop.
Step 5: Now go back to the home screen. Your video should start playing in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode.
Step 6: You can leave the video playing in the PiP window and use your phone as usual, drag it to the edge to hide it, or tap the “x” button to close it.
Although this requires a few more steps, it allows you to play YouTube videos in the background on your iPhone — and without leaving your wallet.
How to play YouTube videos in the background (Android browsers)
Playing YouTube videos in the background on Android can be done in Firefox in a similar way as above for iPhone. We tested this for Firefox, but it may work on other, smaller browsers as well. However, it is unlikely to work on any browser that uses Chrome as a base, since Chrome has removed this as an option.
Step 1: Launch Firefox as usual and go to the YouTube website. Be sure to enter youtube.com in the URL input, because tapping YouTube in Google search results usually opens the app.
Step 2: Navigate to the video you want to play in the background.
Step 3: Go to the Settings menu by tapping the three dots in the lower right corner of the window. After that, tap Request for desktop website.
Step 4: Start playing the video and swipe up to close the browser.
Step 5: Your video should continue to play and will play in the notification shade.
How to use YouTube picture-in-picture mode on Android
This seems like a scam as it is not an app at all. Since Android 8.0 Oreo, Android has enabled “picture-in-picture mode,” which automatically pops up a miniature viewing window if you move away from YouTube. This window can be dragged anywhere on the screen and tapped to enlarge or access playback controls.
It used to be only for Premium subscribers, but in 2018 Google started offering picture-in-picture on YouTube to non-subscribers as well, as long as you’re in the United States. However, it won’t work with content classified as music, so you’ll still have to pay for it.
On most Android phones, it’s very easy to find out what version you have. Simply go to settings > About the phone > Android version. You’ll need at least Android 8.0 Oreo for this feature, and since Oreo is over five years old, you probably have a phone with this or something newer.
How to use YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode on iPhone
Similarly, picture-in-picture mode is available to all iPhone users who subscribe to YouTube Premium. The feature is also available for non-Premium users in the US. In other words, all iPhone users in the US can watch YouTube videos in a popup window when the app is closed — even if you don’t have Premium. There is none of this; just start playing and then return to your home page.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn