YouTube is blocking background playback on some browsers
YouTube just made it tougher to listen in the background for free.
Users of browsers such as Samsung Internet, Vivaldi and Edge on phones have reported audio stopping when they minimize the app or lock their screen;
Brave users have seen mixed results, and Brave has issued guidance and filters to restore background play.
This move started rolling out recently.
YouTube wants background playback to be a paid-only perk
YouTube also removed playback controls from lock screens on these browsers—clearing your cache won't help.
Basically, YouTube wants background playback to be a paid-only perk. As a spokesperson put it, "Background playback is a feature intended to be exclusive for YouTube Premium members."
YouTube Premium is the official way in
Brave isn't backing down—they've updated their browser's Shields settings with new filters to help users get around these changes.
But for most people, if you want uninterrupted listening while multitasking, YouTube Premium (at $13.99/month) is now the official way in.