Listening to Youtube while you do something is a very nice way of giving yourself some background noise, but you might not want to look at the screen all the time, or you might want to have your phone in your pocket.
When you have your phone in your pocket, it’s liable to switch everything off and end the video you are playing. There are some methods of keeping Youtube running while your screen is off, and we’re here to explain everything. Let’s jump in.
How To Listen To Youtube With The Screen Off On Mobile
There are different methods of playing Youtube with the screen off and the difference between them is namely the browser you’re using. There are also different methods to use depending on your operating system.
How To Play Youtube On Android While Phone Is Locked
Chrome
To enable Youtube sound while your screen is off on Google Chrome, you’re going to want to follow these steps:
- Open Chrome on your mobile device
- Go to Youtube
- Click on the Settings at the top-right of your screen
- Near the bottom, click on Desktop site
- This will make Youtube look like it would on desktop
- Play the video you want, then go to your home screen
- Pull down the notification tab and the Youtube video status will appear
- Click on Play and now you can lock your phone and still hear the audio
Firefox
For Firefox, the method is essentially the same:
- Open Firefox on your mobile device
- Go to Youtube
- Click on the three dots at the top-right of your screen
- Find the Desktop site option, then switch it on
- Play a video and go to your home screen/lock your device
- You will still hear the audio
You might notice that these methods might take you to the Youtube app instead of playing the video in the background, and for that, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to your general Settings
- Go to Apps & notifications
- Find Youtube on the list and select it
- Click on Advanced
- Go to Open by default
- Click on Open supported links
- Select Don’t open in this app
Now the methods should work without taking you to the Youtube app.
How To Play Youtube While Phone Is Locked On IOS
For iOS, the method is a little bit more specific since you have to use a browser that is less popular compared to Chrome and Firefox, but the method still works like a charm!
Safari
- Open Safari on your mobile device
- Go to Youtube
- You should see the aA icon at the top-left of the screen, if not, then you should have three dots at the top of the screen
- Click on aA/the three dots
- Click on Request Desktop Site (this will change the layout of Youtube to be similar to the desktop version)
- Play the video you want
- Go to your home screen
- Pull down the notification bar and the video that was just playing should appear among your notifications
- Simply click play and enjoy
Do I Need Youtube Premium For These Solutions?
Nope! All of these methods that we have shown you work for the base version of Youtube available to the public. While enabling Youtube Premium can also be considered a good solution, most people aren’t so eager to pay for a premium service for only one benefit, so we recommend you stick to these solutions.
Does Autoplay Still Work With These Methods?
Unfortunately, no. These methods do not allow autoplay to function once your selected video is over, you’re going to have to go back to your browser and select another one. This might be a bummer, but we recommend you select a long video with all of the music you want to listen to on it, so you don’t have to go back to your browser all the time.
Wrapping Up
Now you can relax and enjoy all of your favorite background noise without any worries! As you can see, these methods are very simple and can be done in a matter of minutes, so there really isn’t anything difficult going on. We sincerely hope that you have found what you were looking for and that all of your questions have been answered!
