In This Article
- Google confirmed its blocking of background playback on third-party mobile browsers for non-premium users
- Samsung Internet, Vivaldi, Brave, and Microsoft Edge all got hit last week
- Some alternatives and workarounds are still working, but no one knows how long that will last
Remember when you could use YouTube in a web browser to listen to podcasts while checking your email? Or listen to your favorite music playlist with the screen off without draining your battery?
Yes, Google just pulled the plug on one of the most common hacks as YouTube has officially blocked background playback for non-premium users across third-party mobile browsers.
For several years, tech-savvy users avoided the Premium paywall by using web browsers such as Samsung Internet, Brave, and Vivaldi. Audio kept playing when you switched apps or locked your screen.
This was the last functional loophole that didn’t require users to install modded APKs. If you are comfortable with the mod, you can still use the open-source loophole to access YouTube Premium features for free with the Morph Manager app.
The End of Free YouTube Background Video Playback for Non-Premium Users
Reports flooded social media this week of users discovering that YouTube background play has suddenly stopped working in some of the most popular mobile web browsers, including Samsung Internet, Vivaldi, Brave, and Microsoft Edge. Not just one browser. All of them.
This wasn’t a bug. This was a planned update to restrict free users who have been enjoying free background playback for years.
Google confirmed the change to Android Authority with the statement:
“Background playback is a feature intended to be exclusive for YouTube Premium members. While some non-premium users may have previously been able to access this through mobile web browsers in certain scenarios, we have updated the experience to ensure consistency across all our platforms.”
In simple words: “You were getting something for free that we want you to pay for. We fixed that.”
“Ensuring consistency” is an excellent doublespeak. They’re not adding features. They’re not improving anything. They’re actively removing one of the most basic functionalities that worked perfectly fine until they decided it shouldn’t, and users must pay for it.
This Is Phase Two of YouTube’s Crackdown on Free Users
Last year, YouTube cracked down on ad blockers with warnings, throttled playback, caused random video freezes, and added delays before videos loaded. The company spent a lot of resources to make the viewing experience worse for people who dared to use any type of ad circumvention.
Now they’ve taken it one step further as they moved on to background playback, a feature so basic that literally every music app and podcast player includes it by default. It’s not some premium luxury; this is how audio content works.
But YouTube gatekeeps it behind a $13.99/month Premium subscription (or $22.99 for families).
The feature exists. The technology works. Google just wants to restrict this feature for premium subscribers only to generate more recurring revenue.
