Want to play YouTube videos in background? Try these tricks
What's the story
If there's anything annoying about YouTube app, it is its inability to play videos in the background.
There is no direct setting to enable background playback, meaning when you switch to a different app or screen, a clip playing in the foreground stops.
But, worry not, we have got a few hacks to fix the issue and enable background streaming.
Let's take a look.
YouTube's strategy
YouTube offers background playback, but only for paying customers
For those unaware, YouTube already offers background playback, but it's only for those who subscribe to its 'YouTube Premium' service.
Now, that's a problem because YouTube Premium is not available in every part of the world (including India) and not many would want to pay $12/month for this and a bunch of other benefits from YouTube.
This is where our tricks come in handy.
Trick #1
Enable background playback directly from browsers
In order to enable background playback without third-party apps, you can open the browser on your phone and switch YouTube's mobile page into the desktop version.
After this, when you play any clip and hit the home button, the video would be accessible from the notification bar with play and pause buttons to control background playback.
Information
These are the browsers you can use
This trick could work on a range of browsers. But, if you're using Android, it is recommended to use the latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. On the contrary, if you're on iOS, go for Opera Touch or Dolphin web browser.
Trick #2
If you need more streamlined control, go for dedicated apps
Normally, the browser trick should do the job, but if you need a more streamlined YouTube playback experience, go for third-party apps.
There are several apps on Google Play Store, but the best ones in our opinion are 'Awesome Pop-up Video' and 'Free Music for YouTube: Stream'.
They both will open YouTube videos in a pop-up, letting you do other activities while streaming.
Information
However, they won't continue playing when screen is off
It is important to note that Awesome Pop-up Video and Free Music for YouTube: Stream can only come handy if you want to play music on an unlocked Android phone. If you turn off the display, the pop-up clips would stop playing.
Trick #3
There's YouTube Vanced, but it's not on Play Store
The problem of playing videos on a locked phone can be solved with YouTube Vanced, a modified avatar of the YouTube app.
The app, available via APK, looks pretty similar to the official one and places a custom player on the screen, like that from a regular music-streaming app.
It can be customized and can continue playing even when the display is off.