But with the latest feature called ‘YouTube premium‘, YouTube has pushed forward with promises and updates that were not previously available. These updates include being able to access YouTube music and download videos and music as well as go add free. Additionally, you can also play YouTube in the background. Though because of different reasons that we will discuss in this article, YouTube premium is not an option for everyone. So, there is another way you can play YouTube in background on your android and IOS device. In this article, we will discuss ways to unlock YouTube premium as well as an alternative option to play YouTube in background.
How to Play YouTube in Background with YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium is a newer addition to the platform. With exciting new features which were previously not available in the normal version, YouTube Premium has caught a lot of people’s attention. Though the price point starts from $11.99 a month for a single account and a discounted rate of $6.99 a month for students leading up to $17.99 a month for the ‘Family Plan’ with six accounts, whether it is worth changing to premium or not has been a hot topic for discussion. One of the features that YouTube Premium included was ‘background play’ which allows you to play YouTube in the background. Here’s how you can change your account to premium to play YouTube in background.
1. Go to YouTube Premium.
2. Click ‘Try It Free‘.
3. Enter payment details and select ‘Buy‘.
Note: YouTube Premium is still not available in a lot of regions. So if you are one of those people who have yet to get YouTube Premium, wait patiently for the new update to arrive in your region. The YouTube account you used to sign up for the premium will automatically unlock features available exclusively for the premium account. Once you have changed your normal account to a premium you can continue with the steps below.
4. Open YouTube with your premium account.
5. Play a video.
Now you can try and lock your phone or go back to the home page, you will notice that the YouTube video is still playing. This way you can effectively play YouTube in background.
How to Play YouTube in Background without YouTube Premium?
Alas, due to the heavy price, most people have been skeptical about using YouTube premium. Another reason why people cannot use YouTube premium is because of its lack of availability in all regions. However, whether you are on android or IOS you can still enjoy playing YouTube in background with certain web browsers. Remember that these options are not official updates from YouTube and can be disabled in future updates.
On Android
Android users need to have a browser on their phone and you can follow the steps below to play YouTube in background:
1. Go to Google Chrome.
2. Type ‘www.youtube.com‘ on search bar and open YouTube.
3. Click on the triple dot icon and tap on ‘Desktop site‘.
The YouTube home screen will change to a screen similar to a desktop view.
4. Search and play a video.
Now you can go back to the home page. YouTube will stop playing for a while which is normal.
5. Scroll the notification bar.
You will see that there is a google chrome notification with YouTube media controls.
6. Press on the play icon.
This way you can play YouTube in background on your Android device.
On IOS
Through the IOS browser ‘Safari‘, users can play YouTube in background following the steps below:
1. Go to Safari.
2. Type in ‘youtube.com‘ to open YouTube.
3. Click the ‘aA‘ icon and select ‘Request Desktop Website‘.
The YouTube home screen will change to a screen similar to a desktop view.
4. Search and Play a video.
Now close the application and you will see that the YouTube video will also stop playing which is normal.
5. Open your iPhone’s Control Centre.
You will see a notification on YouTube from safari along with the media controls.
6. Press the play icon.
This way you can trick your IOS device to play YouTube in the background.
Conclusion
YouTube is still growing its audience and making a feature that will be liked by everyone exclusive is certainly a downside. However, with the alternative method shown in the article, you can still play YouTube in background. We hope this was a helpful article and let us know if you have any queries. Related Article: How to Turn On AutoPlay on YouTube?
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