How to listen to YouTube with phone's screen off

YouTube has a library of live audio and video, and every day, new videos and music are added. However, when you lock your phone screen, the music or video stops playing, which may be annoying. Even though background playback is only available to premium subscribers, there are ways for non-premium users to still listen to YouTube without a screen by using workarounds.

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Play YouTube in Background on Web Browser

Here are the methods to take on an Android tablet if you like to play content like podcasts and playlists in the background:

Using YouTube with Screen Off on Chrome, Edge, Safari

If you want to watch YouTube videos with the screen off using Chrome, Edge, or Safari, follow these steps

Find the video you want to watch, then copy and paste the URL into Chrome.
Tap the ⋮ icon in the upper-right corner next to the address bar.
Select the Desktop site option.
While the video is playing, lock your phone or go back to the home screen.
Swiping down from the top of the screen on Android will bring up the playback controls for your browser. You can continue listening to the audio from the lock screen on iOS devices with the Control Center’s playback widget.

Using YouTube with Screen Off on Firefox

Find the video you want to play on YouTube.
Tap on the share button.
Then, select the copy link option.
Open your web browser and paste the link.
Once the YouTube page has loaded, tap the three dots (⋮) icon in the bottom right corner.
Toggle the desktop site option.
If you follow these steps, the video and music will keep playing even if you close the app screen or switch to another app.

Use of Third-Party Apps for Background Play YouTube

There are third-party applications that let you play YouTube videos in the background, so you do not even need a browser. Background play is a feature that these applications can offer, but they are still vulnerable to having their API rights revoked by YouTube.

For background music with occasional ads, try MusicTube, an app you can access on the Google Play Store. Although it runs outside of the Play Store ecosystem and requires manual APK downloads, NewPipe is an open-source YouTube client that offers features like background play and an ad-free experience.

Upgrade to YouTube Premium

Consider subscribing to YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) if you want a background playing experience. You can remove ads from YouTube, download videos, and get the most out of YouTube Music if you pay for a monthly membership.