YouTube tightens background playbacks, blocks mobile browser workarounds

Google is enforcing its background playback rules strictly, limiting the experience for Premium members only and blocking mobile browser workarounds for free users

YouTube has reportedly started tightening restrictions on background playback on mobile, closing a loophole that many users had relied on for years. According to a report by The Verge, Google is now blocking background playback on mobile browsers, limiting the feature to YouTube Premium subscribers. The change affects users who previously used third-party browsers such as Brave and others to access background playback. Background playback is one of the key features of YouTube Premium, allowing videos to continue playing even when the browser is minimised or the phone’s screen is turned off.

 

Google enforcing Premium-only playback

 

According to the report, Google has confirmed that it is enforcing its rules more strictly. In a statement quoted by Android Authority, a Google spokesperson said that background playback is meant only for YouTube Premium members. The company acknowledged that some non-Premium users were previously able to access the feature through mobile browsers in certain situations, but said the experience has now been updated to keep things consistent across platforms.

 

 

The report said user complaints about the change began appearing last week, starting with Samsung Internet users. Soon after, users of browsers such as Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge also reported that background playback was no longer working as before. According to the report, videos now stop playing when users switch apps or lock their phones, unless they are signed in with a YouTube Premium account. 

 

Despite the tighter restrictions, the report noted that some users are still finding workarounds. A small number of Firefox users have reportedly managed to keep background playback working by changing the browser’s user-agent string to Android VR, which makes YouTube treat the video as if it is playing in a different environment. The report also said that Brave has released an update aimed at bypassing the latest block, though it remains unclear how long this workaround will continue to work.