YouTube is one of the popular video-sharing platforms in the world. It has millions of videos uploaded every day and has more than a billion active users. Although YouTube is designed as a video watching platform, many users want to listen to YouTube videos in the background while doing other activities on their phones. Unfortunately, YouTube does not have a built-in feature to allow its users to play videos in the background on Android. In this blog post, we will provide you with several methods that you can use to listen to YouTube videos in the background on Android devices.
Video Tutorial:
Why You Need to Let YouTube Play in Background on Android
One of the main reasons why users want to play YouTube videos in the background on their Android devices is to multitask. For instance, a user might want to listen to music on YouTube while browsing the internet or working on other apps. Additionally, most music content is released on YouTube, and users cannot download the audio versions of such content. Therefore, playing the video in the background is the only way to listen to the music or any other audio content on YouTube without interruptions.
Method 1: Via the YouTube App
The first method to play YouTube videos in the background on Android devices involves the use of the YouTube app. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Open the YouTube app on your Android device.
2. Search for the video you want to play in the background.
3. Start playing the video.
4. Press the home button on your device to go to the home screen. The video will stop playing.
5. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the notification panel, and you will see the video playing in the background.
6. Control the playback from the notification panel, including pausing, stopping, or skipping to the next video.
Pros:
– This method is free and readily available on Android devices.
– It does not require the installation of any third-party apps.
Cons:
– This method only works with the YouTube app.
– The video quality might be reduced when playing in the background.
Method 2: Via Google Chrome
Another way to play YouTube videos in the background on Android involves using Google Chrome. Here’s how to do it:
1. Launch Google Chrome on your Android device.
2. Visit the YouTube website.
3. Search for the video you want to play in the background.
4. Start playing the video.
5. Tap on the three dots on the top right corner of the screen and select ‘Desktop site.’
6. Press the home button on your device to go to the home screen. The video will stop playing.
7. Swipe down from the notification panel, and you will see the video playing in the background.
8. Control the playback from the notification panel, including pausing, stopping, or skipping to the next video.
Pros:
– This method works on any Android device.
– It does not require the installation of any third-party apps.
Cons:
– The video quality might be reduced when playing in the background.
– The process of switching to the desktop site might be cumbersome, especially for first-time users.
Method 3: Via Mozilla Firefox
Using Mozilla Firefox is another method to play YouTube videos in the background on Android. Here are the steps:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox on your Android device.
2. Visit the YouTube website.
3. Search for the video you want to play in the background.
4. Start playing the video.
5. Press the home button on your device to go to the home screen. The video will stop playing.
6. Open the notification panel, and you will see the video playing in the background.
7. Control the playback from the notification panel, including pausing, stopping, or skipping to the next video.
Pros:
– This method works on any Android device.
– It does not require the installation of any third-party apps.
Cons:
– The video quality might be reduced when playing in the background.
– Mozilla Firefox is not as popular among Android users.
What to Do If You Can’t Play YouTube in Background?
If you are unable to play YouTube videos in the background using the above methods, you can try the following fixes:
– Clear the cache and data of the YouTube app and try again.
– Update the YouTube app to the latest version.
– Disable the YouTube app’s battery optimization to allow it to run in the background.
– Install a third-party app that allows you to play YouTube videos in the background.
Bonus Tip
To save on data usage, you can play YouTube videos in the background and turn off the screen of your Android device. Doing this will reduce the amount of data used, and you can listen to the audio content without interruptions.
5 FAQs
Q1: Is it legal to play YouTube videos in the background on Android devices?
A: Yes, it is legal to play YouTube videos in the background on Android devices.
Q2: Why doesn’t YouTube have a built-in feature to play videos in the background on Android devices?
A: YouTube does not have a built-in feature to play videos in the background on Android devices because they want users to engage actively with the app. Additionally, they might risk losing some revenue if users don’t watch the video ads that play before or during videos.
Q3: Can I use third-party apps to download YouTube videos and play them in the background?
A: It is not recommended to download YouTube videos using third-party apps as it is against YouTube’s terms of service. Additionally, these apps might contain viruses or malware that can harm your device.
Q4: Is there any way to play YouTube videos in the background without using the notification panel?
A: No, using the notification panel is the only way to play YouTube videos in the background on Android devices.
Q5: Are there any alternative video sharing platforms that allow playing videos in the background on Android devices?
A: Yes, some alternative video sharing platforms such as Dailymotion and Vimeo allow playing videos in the background on Android devices.
Final Thoughts
Now you know how to play YouTube videos in the background on Android devices using several methods. The processes might seem cumbersome, but they are the only reliable ways to listen to YouTube videos in the background. Note that playing YouTube videos in the background might have an impact on the quality, so if you want to enjoy the video content, it’s better to watch them normally.