YouTube quietly blocks background playback trick in third-party Android browsers

YouTube

• YouTube stops background playback in third-party Android browsers for free users
• Playback now stops when screen turns off unless using YouTube Premium
• Some inconsistencies remain, but restrictions are gradually rolling out

Did our AI summary help?

For years, one of the biggest reasons Android users turned to third-party browsers was a simple but powerful workaround. Opening YouTube in browsers like Samsung Internet, Brave, or Vivaldi often allowed videos to continue playing in the background or with the screen turned off, effectively bypassing one of YouTube Premium’s most popular features. That loophole now appears to be closing.

According to reports highlighted by PiunikaWeb, a growing number of Android users say background playback no longer works when accessing YouTube through third-party browsers. The issue seems most commonly reported by users of Samsung Internet, but similar complaints have surfaced from people using Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge. In each case, video playback stops shortly after the screen turns off or the user switches to another app.

Testing the behaviour confirms the change. When using YouTube through Samsung Internet without a paid subscription, playback now ends within seconds of the display going dark. For a brief moment, the media controls may still appear on the lock screen, but they quickly disappear altogether. This is not simply a case of the play button being disabled. The system removes the Now Playing card entirely, leaving no way to resume playback without reopening the browser and keeping the screen on.

Interestingly, the same behaviour can be observed on iOS when accessing YouTube through Safari without a Premium account. Playback pauses when the display turns off, followed shortly by the disappearance of lock screen controls. By contrast, logging in with a Premium account produces a different result. Playback may pause initially when the screen turns off, but the media controls remain visible, and playback can be resumed. This suggests YouTube is actively checking account entitlements in the background, even when accessed through a web browser rather than the official app.

This shift aligns closely with YouTube’s broader strategy over the past few years. The platform, owned by Google, has steadily increased its efforts to restrict unpaid access to Premium features. Ad-blockers, unofficial clients, and alternative playback methods have all faced repeated crackdowns, often through server-side changes that do not require app updates.

There may still be some inconsistency in how the new restrictions are applied. PiunikaWeb notes that at least one Brave user reported background playback starting to work again after previously failing. Testing on a newer Pixel device produced mixed results, with some videos continuing to play in the background while others stopped after a few seconds. In some cases, playback failed almost immediately, while in others it lasted briefly before cutting out. There was no obvious pattern tied to video length, channel, or resolution.

This inconsistency suggests the change may still be rolling out gradually, or that YouTube is experimenting with different enforcement methods. It is also possible that certain browsers or browser versions are temporarily slipping through the net, only to be closed off again in future updates. Historically, these kinds of loopholes tend not to last long once Google becomes aware of them.

From YouTube’s perspective, background playback has long been positioned as a key incentive to subscribe to Premium. Allowing widespread free access through browsers undermines that value proposition. While Google has never officially supported background play outside of Premium, the fact that it worked for so long made it a de facto feature for many users.

For now, users relying on third-party browsers should expect unpredictable behaviour at best. While occasional success may still be possible, the trend points clearly in one direction. YouTube appears to be tightening control over background playback across platforms, and free workarounds are becoming increasingly fragile. If recent history is any guide, this is unlikely to be a one-off enforcement push, but part of an ongoing effort to close every remaining gap.