Since 154 million people around the world have downloaded videos from YouTube, the Google-owned site is definitely a video streaming tool. The site for streaming and sharing videos also says it has more than 2 billion monthly users from more than 100 countries. YouTube says that more than 500 hours of material are uploaded every minute in 80 languages. In this article we will show you how to how To Play YouTube in Background: Android and iPhone.
Based on this information, a lot of people may be using the free version of YouTube and missing out on some benefits, like being able to play videos in the background. Furthermore, people who subscribe to YouTube Premium can watch a video even when the app is minimized or the screen is turned off. If your screen is off, you can still watch YouTube movies in these two ways:
Why Play YouTube in the Background?
- Music without video: Enjoy the audio from music videos, playlists, or educational tutorials without needing to actively watch the screen.
- Multitasking: Listen to background music while doing other activities like cleaning, studying, or exercising.
- Podcasts and audiobooks: Catch up on your favorite podcasts or audiobooks while on the go or during downtime.
- Ambient sounds: Relaxing nature sounds, white noise, or lo-fi beats can create a calming atmosphere while working or sleeping.
- Language learning: Immerse yourself in a new language by listening to native speakers and conversations in the background.
- Focus and motivation: Upbeat music or motivational talks can help you stay energized and focused on your work.
- News and updates: Stay informed by listening to news stories or podcasts while doing other things.
How To Play YouTube in Background: Android and iPhone
Playing videos in certain browsers (iOS)
- First, navigate to YouTube from the browser of your choice.
- Then, search for the chosen video.
- Once you’ve found and opened your video, switch to the desktop version of the site.
- Start playing your video.
- Now go back to your home screen. Your video should start playing in a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode.
- However, this step seems a bit buggy and we had to redo it several times to get it to work.
- You can leave the video playing in the PiP window and use your phone normally, or drag it to the edge to hide it.
Play videos with Firefox (Android)
- Launch Firefox as you normally would and go to the YouTube website. Be sure to type “youtube.com” in the URL input, as tapping YouTube in Google search results will usually launch the app.
- Navigate to the video you want to play in the background.
- Go to the Settings menu by tapping on the three dots in the top right corner of the window. Then tap Request Desktop Site.
- Start playing the video and swipe up to close your browser.
Tips for a Seamless Background Play Experience
- Turn off autoplay. Autoplay can play movies you don’t want and stop the music you’re listening to in the background.
- Cut down on browser tabs: Close apps that you don’t need to free up system resources.
- Use an app just for music: If you just want to play music, you might want to look into specific music apps, which might use fewer resources.
- Stable internet link: For uninterrupted playback, you need a stable internet connection with little packet loss.
- Prepare videos ahead of time: If you can, prepare videos ahead of time that you want to watch while using mobile data.
- Turn off internet leaks that aren’t needed: Stop using other apps that use the internet and play YouTube in the background.
- Think about playing music offline: You can stop using the internet to watch movies by downloading them.
FAQs
Background play only works in the YouTube mobile apps, and you need to be a YouTube Premium user to use it. Even if you have a channel membership, you can’t play or download some movies in the background.
YubePiP can play YouTube videos side by side. It lets you play audio-only in the background. There are also two video modes that you can use at the same time: full screen and PiP. You can browse the movie in 4 different instances of the YouTube web app.
Thanks for taking part in the Apple Support Communities. We know that the sound stops when you switch between apps like Netflix and apps that play music or podcasts. This is how some tools are supposed to work. Most likely, they think you’ll be watching or listening to something with sound.
