US EditionYouTube Has Annoyed Free Users Once Again by Cracking Down on This Popular Background Playback Hack
Google updated YouTube to block background playback on mobile browsers for non-Premium users to protect paywalled features and encourage Premium subscriptions.
- This week, YouTube confirmed it is blocking background playback for non‑Premium users on mobile web browsers to ensure consistency across platforms, a spokesperson said.
- The change aims to protect a paywalled YouTube Premium feature and Google has spent years cracking down on ad‑blockers and unofficial YouTube clients.
- On multiple devices and browsers, tests show playback stops within seconds after the display turns off and the lock‑screen playback card vanishes, including Safari on iOS and Samsung Internet.
- Many free YouTube users relying on the browser minimization workaround lose background listening, and some find the $13.99 monthly Premium cost hard to justify.
- Users report inconsistent background playback on mobile browsers, with at least one Brave user claiming it returned; observers warn this may not be a one-time action amid playback speed paywalling experiments.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Google updated YouTube to block the methods that allowed the app to be used in the background without paying for Premium subscription. The measure affects mobile users who took advantage of external browsers or alternative applications to keep audio active while using other device features.Background playback is part of the exclusive benefits of YouTube Premium on mobile phones.This plan also includes the removal of ads, downloading content to v…
Many users have always found alternative ways to use YouTube background playback without going through a box. It was enough to access from the browser, activate the desktop version, or play the content from a specific tab to keep listening to videos with the screen off. That track has the days to go. Google confirms the browser’s “trick” closure Google has officially confirmed that it will close the gaps that allow non-subscription background pl…
Even if it's a YouTube Premium option, many can use music playback with the disabled screen. It's something reserved, but with a browser it seems to be easy to turn around. This happens...
YouTube is killing free background play workarounds in third-party browsers
There’s a whole host of reasons people rely on third-party browsers on Android, and chief among them is a pretty popular workaround for background playback in YouTube. Unfortunately, those days might be coming to a close for non-subscribers. more…
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