One of the most annoying restrictions on YouTube for Android is that it automatically pauses the video you’re watching or listening to when you navigate to another screen or open another app on your device. But there are ways around this. Read on to find out how to play YouTube videos in the background.
1. Free solution
The easiest and most cost effective solution is to use the FireFox browser rather than the YouTube app. This browser will allow you to continue to listen to the video of your choice with the screen off or while doing something else on your device. You can download FireFox below. If you want more features than this, read on.
2. YouTube Red
One way to play YouTube videos in the background is to purchase a YouTube Red subscription, which costs $9.99 per month. This comes with the feature called ‘Background Play’ which allows your video play in the background when you open different apps or turn the screen off.
An added bonus of YouTube Red is that it also removes YouTube ads and includes a subscription to Google Play Music. If you already have Google Play Music then you’ll get YouTube Red for free.
3. Third-party app
Another option for playing your videos in the background is Awesome Pop-up Video Pro. Now, it doesn’t play YouTube videos in the background, as such, rather it plays them in a small, movable pop-up window, which can be dragged to the side of the screen to achieve a similar effect.
Please note that although this app allows you to play videos in the background, it won’t let you play them with the screen off. The Mozilla Firefox option does. With this app you’ll pay only a few bucks as a one time purchase instead of a monthly payment from YouTube Red. You won’t have access to the great features available from the monthly package deal but it’s a cheap and quick way to play YouTube videos in the background.
Read also:How to Download YouTube Music, Video to Android devices
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