YouTube has enabled the background play feature only within the Premium subscription, in addition to removing ads, which allows the content to continue playing when the screen is turned off or the application is minimized. This facilitates multitasking use, such as browsing the Internet or messaging while listening to music and podcasts, and also contributes to reducing battery consumption.
However, many users have previously avoided paying the roughly $14 monthly subscription, relying on ad-blocking add-ons and browser tricks to enable background play for free.
But recently, YouTube has tightened its security measures, closing most of these vulnerabilities. Since late January, the platform has discontinued popular modes such as desktop mode, picture-in-picture mode, and some special add-ons.
Once you turn off the screen, minimize the browser, or move to another tab, the video stops playing automatically. This change affected various phone browsers, including Samsung Internet, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge.
In this context, Google has officially confirmed to Android Authority that background playback is an exclusive feature for YouTube Premium subscribers, and that the company will strictly enforce this matter across all platforms to ensure uniformity of the experience.
On the other hand, the decision was met with angry reactions from users. On platforms like Reddit, many accused Google of deliberately reducing the features of the free version to push users towards the paid subscription.
On the other hand, attempts to search for new alternative solutions through scripts, add-ons, and modified applications have already begun, indicating that the ongoing conflict between users and the platform has entered a new round.
