If you are a YouTube Premium subscriber, you can play YouTube videos in the background on your Android and iPhone devices very easily. If you start playing a video and turn off the screen or move away, it will continue playing without a problem. However, you can also play videos in the background without a premium subscription. You can use Picture in Picture (PIP) or a specific browser.
This allows YouTube to compete with the best podcast apps on iOS and Android. Here’s how to play YouTube in the background on your phone, no matter what device you use.
Looking for music to listen to in the background on YouTube? Check out our guide on how to download music from YouTube and listen to it on all your devices.
How to Play YouTube in the Background Using YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is a subscription service that lets you remove ads, access exclusive videos, and download videos on desktop and mobile. But the important thing is that you can continue watching YouTube in the background even after you turn off your phone screen or move to another app. This feature is on by default, so there are no steps to turn it on, so it should work fine as long as you have YouTube Premium.
YouTube Premium also includes ad-free access to YouTube Music and the option to turn off the screen within the app. What’s the catch? As you might expect, it’s money. YouTube Premium costs $12 per month, or $23 per month for a family subscription of up to six people. However, a one-month free trial is available. The YouTube app is available for both Android and iPhone.
Although the extra cost isn’t ideal, it’s the most convenient way to play YouTube in the background on your iPhone or Android phone.
How to Play YouTube in the Background (iPhone Browser)
But what if you want to play YouTube videos in the background on your iPhone? without Paying a premium? This is where web browsers come in.
Safari and Chrome prohibit turning off the screen and continuing to listen to YouTube, but you can use Apple’s Control Center in certain other browsers to bypass YouTube’s restrictions. Firefox and Opera are two browsers that definitely work this way, so we recommend testing out other iPhone browsers you prefer.
Here’s how to get this to work:
Step 1: First, go to YouTube in your browser of choice. If Google redirects you to an app in Firefox, try typing: youtube.com Enter it directly in the URL bar.
Step 2: Next, search for the selected video.
Step 3: Once you’ve found and opened the video, switch to the desktop version of the site.
This depends on the browser you are using, but is typically accessed from: options Click the button in the bottom right corner desktop site Options.
Step 4: Start the video. You may have to wait for the ads to stop.
Step 5: Now go back to the home screen. The 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 normally, drag it to the edge to hide it, or tap the "x” button to close it.
This requires a few more steps, but you can play YouTube videos in the background on your iPhone without leaving a single penny out of your wallet.
How to Play YouTube in the Background (Android Browser)
Playing YouTube videos in the background on Android can be done in Firefox in a similar way as on the iPhone. We tested this in Firefox, but it may work in other smaller browsers as well. However, since Chrome has removed this from the options, it likely won’t work in browsers that use Chrome as the default.
Step 1: Launch Firefox as usual and go to the YouTube website. Be sure to enter it. youtube.com Typically, tapping YouTube in Google search results will open the app.
Step 2: Go to the video you want to play in the background.
Step 3: Go to the Settings menu by tapping the three dots in the bottom right corner of the window. Then Desktop Site Request.
Step 4: Start playing the video and swipe up to close the browser.
Step 5: The video will continue to play and will play in the notification shade.
How to Use YouTube’s PIP Mode on Android
This seems like a bit of a cheat since it’s not an app at all. Starting with Android 8.0 Oreo, Android enabled ‘Picture-in-Picture mode’, which automatically displays a small viewing window when you navigate away from YouTube. This window can be dragged anywhere on the screen and tapped to enlarge it or access playback controls.
It used to be available only to premium subscribers, but starting in 2018, Google began offering Picture-in-Picture on YouTube to non-subscribers as long as they live in the United States. However, it doesn’t work with content categorized as music, so you’ll have to pay for it.
On most Android phones, it’s fairly easy to find out which version you’re using. Simply go setting > phone information > android version. You’ll need at least Android 8.0 Oreo to use this feature, and since Oreo has been out for over five years, you likely have a phone with this feature or a newer version.
How to Use YouTube’s PIP Mode on iPhone
Likewise, all iPhone users who subscribe to YouTube Premium can use picture-in-picture mode. This feature is also available to non-US Premium users. This means that any iPhone user in the United States, even if they’re not Premium, will be able to watch YouTube videos in a pop-up window when they close the app. There is nothing in this. Just start the game and then return to the home page.
Want to try PIP on other devices? Here’s how to get PiP working on your Mac: Want to watch some fun content on YouTube now? Here are the best movies you can stream on YouTube.