Let’s be real. It’s incredibly frustrating. You’re halfway through a fascinating video essay or a DJ set, you slide your phone into your pocket, and—silence. The video cuts out immediately because your screen went dark. It feels like a relic of 2010. Why is this still a thing? Honestly, it’s mostly about money and licensing. Google wants you to pay for the privilege of background play, and record labels want to make sure you're seeing the ads that pay their royalties. But you’re here because you want to know how can I listen to YouTube with screen off without necessarily being tethered to a desktop or keeping your battery-draining display at full blast.
The answer depends entirely on your patience and your platform.
If you’re on an iPhone, you’re dealing with Apple’s "walled garden" limitations. If you’re on Android, you have a bit more freedom, but even then, Google tries to shut down the loopholes pretty quickly. There isn't just one magic button. Instead, there’s a series of workarounds—some official, some slightly "hacky"—that vary in reliability.
The Official (and Easiest) Way
The most straightforward answer to "how can I listen to YouTube with screen off" is, unfortunately, the one that costs money. YouTube Premium.
Google didn't make background play a "feature" so much as they made it a "product." When you subscribe, the app just... works. You can exit the app, lock your phone, or switch to Instagram, and the audio keeps rolling. It’s seamless. It also removes those mid-roll ads that jump-scare you during a sleep meditation. For many people, the $13.99 a month is worth the lack of headache.
But if you’re like me and you already pay for Spotify, Apple Music, and six different streaming services, adding another monthly bill feels like a personal insult.
The Mobile Browser Trick: The Reliable Workaround
You don't actually need the YouTube app to watch YouTube. This is the oldest trick in the book, yet most people forget it exists. It works because mobile browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox have different "handshakes" with the website than the dedicated app does.
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For iPhone Users (Safari)
Open Safari. Type in the YouTube URL manually. Do not let it redirect you to the app—if it tries, long-press the link and select "Open in New Tab." Once you're on the site, look for the "Aa" icon in the address bar. Tap it and select "Request Desktop Website."
Now, play your video. You can go to your home screen, and the audio will stop. Don't panic. Swipe down to open your Control Center. You’ll see the media player there. Hit play. Lock your screen. It should keep playing.
Sometimes Apple "patches" this in iOS updates, but it usually comes back or works in third-party browsers like Brave. Brave is actually a sleeper hit for this because it has a built-in "Playlist" feature and native ad-blocking that often bypasses the background play restrictions entirely.
For Android Users (Chrome or Firefox)
Android is a bit more flexible. If you use Chrome, follow the same "Desktop Site" steps. However, Firefox for Android is actually superior for this specific task. Why? Because you can install extensions.
There is a specific extension called "Video Background Play Fix." You install it, and it basically tells the browser to ignore the command to pause when the tab isn't active. It's incredibly stable. No weird Control Center fumbling required.
Third-Party Apps and the Cat-and-Mouse Game
There used to be a legendary app called YouTube Vanced. It was the holy grail for anyone asking "how can I listen to YouTube with screen off." It gave you Premium features for free. Then, Google’s legal team finally caught up with them, and the project was shuttered.
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Currently, the successor is ReVanced.
It’s not an app you just download from the Play Store. You have to "patch" the official YouTube APK yourself using a manager. It’s technical. It’s fiddly. But for the tech-savvy, it’s the gold standard. You get background play, no ads, and even "SponsorBlock," which automatically skips the "this video is sponsored by Raid Shadow Legends" segments.
On the iOS side, there are "sideloaded" apps like uYouPlus. To get these, you usually need something like AltStore, which requires you to "refresh" the app every seven days via a computer on your home Wi-Fi. It’s a lot of work just to listen to a podcast, but for power users, it’s the only way to fly.
Why Does My Phone Keep Pausing Anyway?
Even with these tricks, you might find the audio cutting out. Usually, this is a battery optimization issue.
Both iOS and Android are aggressive about killing background processes to save juice. If your phone sees a browser or a modified app sucking up data while the screen is off, it might "kill" the task. To fix this on Android, go to Settings > Apps > [Your Browser] > Battery and set it to "Unrestricted." On iPhone, ensure "Background App Refresh" is toggled on for your specific browser.
Picture-in-Picture: The Middle Ground
Maybe you don’t need the screen completely off. Maybe you just want to use other apps.
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If you are in the US, YouTube actually allows Picture-in-Picture (PiP) for free on the standard app, provided the content isn't labeled as "music." If you're watching a tech review or a vlog, you can just swipe up to go home, and a small window stays active. If you then lock your phone... the audio dies.
It’s a tease. It solves the multitasking problem but doesn't solve the "how can I listen to YouTube with screen off" problem. For that, you truly have to use the desktop-site-in-browser method or go the Premium route.
The Hardware "Hack" (The Lo-Fi Solution)
If you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds with a physical play/pause button, you can sometimes "force" the play command.
- Open YouTube in your mobile browser (Desktop mode).
- Start the video.
- Lock your phone. The audio stops.
- Press the "Play" button on your headphones.
Often, the hardware command bypasses the software's initial pause trigger. This is 100% dependent on your specific phone model and headphone firmware, but it works surprisingly often on mid-range Android devices.
Actionable Steps to Get This Working Right Now
If you want to stop the frustration immediately, here is your path forward:
- If you want the "No-Fuss" experience: Start a free trial of YouTube Premium. Just remember to set a calendar reminder to cancel it in 29 days if you don't want to be billed.
- If you are on an iPhone: Download the Brave Browser. Open YouTube, go to settings, and enable "Background Play" in the browser’s own media settings. It is significantly more reliable than Safari.
- If you are on Android: Install Firefox. Go to the Add-ons menu and search for "Video Background Play Fix." This is the most stable "set it and forget it" method for Android users who aren't techy enough to mess with ReVanced.
- Check your Data Savings: If the audio stutters or stops after a few minutes, turn off "Data Saver" mode in your phone settings. High-quality audio streams need a consistent data handshake that "Low Data" modes often interrupt.
The reality is that Google wants this to be difficult. They want the friction to be just high enough that you eventually give up and hand over the subscription fee. But by using the desktop browser request or specific privacy-focused browsers, you can keep your screen dark and your battery full while the audio keeps playing.
Check your browser settings first, as a recent update might have toggled off your desktop view permissions. Once that's set, you're usually good to go.