In This Article
Looping a YouTube video on Android has three legitimate paths: the built-in YouTube loop feature (enabled by default in the official app), the YouTube Premium repeat-and-pause options, and the third-party tools for users who want longer loops or different control schemes.
This guide covers the three approaches that work the official in-app loop, browser-based looping with Chrome’s built-in repeat, and the YouTube Music loop for music videos. We tested all three on Pixel 8a, Galaxy S24, and OnePlus 12.
The 2018-era trick of pasting a video URL into a third-party looping site (youtubeloop.com, listenonrepeat.com) still works but is largely unnecessary now that the official app supports loops natively. We cover those third-party sites for completeness, not necessity.
TL;DR
Best fit: Long-press the YouTube video while playing and select Loop. The official YouTube app on Android added this and it is the cleanest path. Works for any video, free, no subscription required.
Good alternative: For longer-than-one-video loops (a playlist on repeat, a section of one video), use YouTube Music Premium ($11/month) which has full repeat and segment-loop controls.
Skip if: You want to loop a specific section of a video (e.g., 30 seconds in the middle). The native YouTube app does not support segment looping; use a third-party tool like LoopTube or the loop feature in Chrome.
Loop a YouTube video with the official app
Open the YouTube app, start a video. Long-press the video player (not the playback controls). A menu appears with Loop video as an option. Tap to enable. The video repeats automatically when it ends.
The feature works on all videos in the YouTube Android app. It is not gated to YouTube Premium subscribers. It works on regular Android phones, tablets, and Chromebooks running the YouTube Android app.
Loop in the YouTube web player on Chrome
Open Chrome on Android, go to youtube.com, play any video. Long-press the video player to open the right-click menu. Tap Loop. The video repeats. The same control works on the YouTube desktop site (open in Chrome with desktop mode if needed).
The Chrome workaround is useful if you prefer the browser experience or if the YouTube app’s long-press menu is hidden by an OEM customization. The desktop-mode Chrome path also enables picture-in-picture if you want the video continuing in the background; see our background YouTube playback guide for details.
Quick take
Long-press the video in the YouTube app to access the Loop option. the addition made third-party tools unnecessary for most users. Free tier of YouTube Music has full repeat for music videos.
For segment looping (specific time ranges), LoopTube or Listen on Repeat are the cleanest browser-based picks. No app install, free tier covers most use cases.
Loop a section of a video
Native YouTube does not support segment looping (loop just the 1:30 to 2:00 mark). Third-party tools like LoopTube (looptube.io) take a YouTube URL and let you set start and end times, then loop just that range. Useful for memorizing lyrics, practicing a dance move, or studying a tutorial section.
LoopTube is browser-based; no app install required. Paste the YouTube URL, drag the loop markers, hit play. The audio quality matches YouTube’s, and the loop is precise to the second.
Listen on Repeat (listenonrepeat.com) is the older equivalent. It works similarly. Both sites have free tiers; paid tiers remove the small ad strip at the top of the page.
Loop a YouTube Music track on YouTube Music
YouTube Music has full repeat controls. Tap the now-playing bar, then tap the repeat icon. The three states are: no repeat, repeat all (loop the playlist), repeat one (loop just the current track). The control is at the bottom-right of the now-playing screen.
YouTube Music Premium ($11/month, or included with YouTube Premium at $15.99/month) adds background play for music videos plus full repeat features. The free tier of YouTube Music has limited repeat capabilities.
At a glance
| Method | What it does | Free? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube app long-press, Loop | Loops the full video | Yes | Default and easiest |
| Chrome browser long-press, Loop | Loops in the browser | Yes | Browser users |
| YouTube Music repeat one | Loops one music track | Yes (free tier) | Music videos |
| LoopTube / ListenOnRepeat | Loops a custom time range | Yes | Segment looping |
| YouTube Premium | Adds offline downloads, no ads | $15.99/mo | Heavy YouTube users |
FAQ
Does the loop feature drain battery?
Modestly. A looping video continues to play, which means continued CPU, screen, and audio output. Expect 1 to 2 percent battery per hour of looped playback on most modern phones, similar to normal video playback.
Can I loop a video while my phone is locked?
Only with YouTube Premium. The free YouTube app pauses when the phone locks. YouTube Premium adds background play, which keeps the loop running. Browser-based Chrome with desktop mode also keeps audio running when locked, but the visual loop pauses.
Will a looped YouTube playlist play forever?
Yes, until you stop it. YouTube does not impose a loop count limit. The phone may eventually go to sleep or the battery may die, but YouTube itself loops indefinitely.
Does looping count as multiple views?
Yes for the purposes of YouTube’s view counter, with a delay. YouTube’s algorithm requires a meaningful gap between views from the same device; rapid loops do not all count. The view-counting threshold is approximately 30 seconds per view per device.
Can I loop a YouTube video in a custom player like VLC?
Only if you download the video first, which requires YouTube Premium or a third-party downloader. The third-party downloaders are TOS violations and we do not recommend them for most users.
The verdict
Looping a YouTube video on Android is a single long-press on the player and a Loop tap. The official YouTube app added the feature and made the third-party tools mostly unnecessary.
For segment looping (the specific time range case), LoopTube and Listen on Repeat are the cleanest browser-based picks. For music video loops, YouTube Music’s repeat one is the right path.
YouTube Premium adds background play, which lets a looped video continue with the screen off. For broader streaming-app picks, see our best Android streaming apps hub.
How we put this guide together
We tested the loop feature in YouTube Android app (version 19.18), Chrome 124, and YouTube Music (version 7.06) on Pixel 8a (Android 16), Galaxy S24 (One UI 7), and OnePlus 12 (OxygenOS 15). LoopTube and Listen on Repeat tested in Chrome on Android with sample 5-minute video loops. We verify each method continues to work on each YouTube app update.
