YouTube is a diverse music and video streaming platform with a massive viewership of 1.7 billion in 2022. It has become a go-to app for people to listen to their favorite songs or watch videos.
One major downside of using YouTube on Android or iPhone is that you can only play videos in the background if you have a paid subscription. Fortunately, some workarounds allow you to watch YouTube in the background without purchasing a premium subscription.
This article will teach you how to play YouTube in the background. These methods include paid options and workarounds, allowing you to enjoy your favorite content while using other apps or multitasking.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- YouTube Premium automatically allows you to play videos in the background for $11.99 monthly.
- iPhone users can play YouTube in the background using Safari and the control center to play video audio.
- Instead of the app, use Chrome browser to play YouTube in the background on Android.
- With Picture-in-Picture, users can watch videos in a small window while using other apps.
- iPhone users without premium subscriptions can play YouTube videos in pip mode with the PiPifier Safari extension.
Methods to Play YouTube in the Background on Your Phone
You might find playing YouTube in the background helpful while using other apps or when your screen is turned off. Unfortunately, the official YouTube app does not support background playback for free; instead, you must subscribe to YouTube Premium.
However, there are various ways you can use YouTube in the background. You can use one of the methods below to play YouTube in the background.
Method 1: Sign Up For A YouTube Premium Subscription
You may stream music and films continuously in the background with YouTube Premium. With this subscription, you get the following benefits:
- Ad-free YouTube
- Download videos to watch offline
- Play in the background
- Access to YouTube Music Premium
- Continue watching feature
- Picture in Picture
- Change video quality
- Modify playback with listening controls
- Queue on mobile devices and tablets
| ✅Pro Tip: Even without a premium subscription, there are ways you can watch videos on YouTube without ads. One way to do this is by installing an ad-blocker on your browser. |
a. Pricing
YouTube Premium subscriptions come with a 1-month or 2-month free trial, depending on your country. If you’ve previously canceled your YouTube Premium subscription, you might not be eligible for trial offers since they’re only available to new customers.
Here are the available plans for the YouTube Premium subscription:
| Plan | Price |
| Individual | $13.99/month |
| Family | $22.99/month |
| YouTube Premium Music | $10.99/month |
| Student | $7.99/month |
b. Subscribe to YouTube Premium
There are 2.6 billion active YouTube viewers globally, but not all are premium account holders. If you have a free account and want to subscribe to YouTube Premium, follow these steps:
1. Launch YouTube on your mobile phone.
2. Select your profile in the top right corner after logging into your account.
3. Select Get YouTube Premium.
4. Select Try it free.
5. Choose a Premium plan (individual, family, or student)
6. Tap Confirm.
| 💡Did You Know? There are many ways to download music on YouTube. One of these is using YouTube MP3. |
c. Play YouTube in Background with Premium
To play YouTube videos in the background using the premium subscription, follow these steps:
1. Launch YouTube on your phone.
2. Choose the video you want to watch.
3. Turn off the screen or switch to another app while playing the video.
4. When you minimize YouTube, the video will appear in a floating window.
| 💡Did You Know? YouTube stands as the top video-sharing platform. This is due to its large user base and the impressive 3.7 million videos uploaded daily. |
The following section will explain how to play YouTube videos on your browser in the background.
Method 2: Use a Browser to Play YouTube in The Background
If you don’t have a paid subscription, using a mobile browser to play YouTube in the background can be a helpful solution. However, it is essential to note that this might only sometimes work, depending on your browser, device, and YouTube updates.
Learn how to play YouTube on Safari and Chrome in the sections below.
a. Safari for iOS
If you don’t have a premium subscription, you can still play YouTube videos in the background using Safari. Here’s how:
1. Open Safari on your iOS device.
2. Navigate to the YouTube website and find the video you want to play.
3. Once the video starts playing, exit Safari by pressing the home button or using the gesture to return to the home screen.
4. To access the Control Center, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen.
5. Use this to play, stop, or skip the video’s audio.
Playing YouTube videos in the background on an iPhone only plays the audio. The video itself is not visible on the screen.
| 📝Note: Accessing the Control Center requires swiping down from the top right up from the bottom, depending on the model of your phone. |
b. Chrome for Android
Using the Chrome browser on your phone is a straightforward way to get YouTube to play in the background on an Android device.
Here’s how to play YouTube in the background using Chrome:
1. Open Chrome and use the search bar to navigate to YouTube’s website.
| ✅Pro Tip: Typing m in front of the YouTube URL like this, “https://m.youtube.com,” ensures that you will not be directed to the app version of YouTube. This keeps you on the web version only. |
2. Tap the video you want to play and select desktop by clicking on the three dots in the upper right of the screen.
3. Hit the Start button to play the video.
4. Switch apps or turn your screen off, which will stop the video from playing.
5. Swipe down to reach the control center.
6. Find the video in your settings and press play.
7. Switch apps or turn off your screen; the video should play in the background.
| 📝Note: This method will play YouTube videos, but you can’t watch them as no video images are in the background. |
You can also use the PiP features for iPhone and Android, which are discussed in the following section.
Method 3: Enable Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode
Designed to help viewers multi-task, Picture-in-picture, or PiP, minimizes the size of videos you play, whether on an app or browser.
You can drag the viewing window anywhere on your screen and go back to YouTube by tapping on it twice.
| 📖 Definition: PiP, or Picture in Picture, compresses a video into a small player that allows you to watch it while using other apps on your mobile device. |
a. Activating PiP Mode on iOS
PiP allows US users to play YouTube videos in the background without a YouTube Premium subscription. However, there are some limitations, such as being unable to watch the video.
To turn on PiP on your iPhone, here are the steps:
1. Go to your iOS device’s Settings and tap General, then Picture-in-Picture.
2. To turn it on, tap Start PiP Automatically.
3. Go to your YouTube app’s settings, then to General.
4. To turn it on, toggle Picture-in-Picture to on.
b. Use PiPifier App on iPhone to Get PiP
If you are outside the US and not a YouTube premium subscriber, you can use PiP mode by downloading PiPifier from the App Store.
The PiPifier app acts as an extension of Safari and works on iPhones running iOS 15 or later. The app allows you to use PiP on any HTML5 video, including YouTube, but you must access it through the Safari browser.
To view YouTube videos in PiP mode, do the following:
1. Download the PiPifier app on the App Store.
2. Enable the PiPifier extension on Safari by tapping the AA icon on the top left.
3. Go to Manage Extensions.
4. Toggle on PiPifier and tap Done.
5. Go to YouTube on the Safari app.
6. Find the video you want to watch, tap the AA icon, and hit the PiPifier option.
| 🎉Fun Fact: After selecting the video you want to play, you can now exit Safari; the floating window will follow you wherever you are on your iPhone screen. |
c. Activating the PiP Mode on Android
Android users can also play YouTube videos in PiP mode without a YouTube premium subscription. However, some content may need to be fixed on PiP.
To turn on PiP on Android, check out the steps below:
1. Go to your Android Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Scroll down to find the YouTube app.
4. Click on YouTube and toggle Allow picture-in-picture.
5. To enable PiP, start playing a video on the YouTube app and press the home button.
The YouTube video will show up in a small window that you can move with your finger. It will keep playing even if you open other apps.
| 👍Helpful Article: You might be interested to know what attracts viewers the most. Check out this list of the top 15 most-viewed YouTube videos. |
Wrap-Up
YouTube Premium lets you enjoy many features, including playing videos in the background. This feature also enables you to listen to or watch your favorite playlist without keeping the app open, thus allowing you to multi-task.
Without a premium subscription, you may still use the browser to make YouTube play in the background or turn on pip mode, although it has some restrictions.
FAQs
How do I continue watching YouTube videos from where I left off?
If you stop watching a video before it is done, a bar under the thumbnail will show you where you left off. When you clear your watch history, it will also clear your progress bar.
How do I repeat a playlist on my iPhone?
To repeat a playlist, play any playlist and then tap loop in the playlist control. The playlist will repeat continuously.
How do I play YouTube videos in a loop?
Go to YouTube in a web browser to play YouTube videos in a loop. Right-click or long-press the video and select loop.
Why can’t I play YouTube Premium in the background?
If you can’t play YouTube Premium in the background, check your internet connection first. Then try to log in and log out of your account and check whether background playback is enabled.
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Deyan is an avid enthusiast and self-proclaimed fan of the Windows operating system. His passion for discovering new functionalities and hidden gems within Windows drives his insatiable curiosity and fuels his desire to share his findings with others. As an avid writer, Deyan frequently shares his expertise through articles that provide tips and tricks to optimize the Windows experience.