You're walking. You've got your phone in your pocket, a podcast is rolling, and then—silence. You accidentally nudged the power button. Or maybe you just wanted to save your battery life while listening to a lo-fi mix. Either way, the fact that we even have to discuss how to make YouTube play with screen off Android feels like a weird relic of 2010. Google wants you to pay. They want that Premium subscription revenue, and they’ve built a massive wall around the most basic feature imaginable: the ability to hear audio without staring at a glowing rectangle.
It's annoying.
Honestly, the struggle is real because the "official" way is locked behind a paywall, but the Android ecosystem is a wild west of workarounds. Some are sketchy. Some are brilliant. Some involve desktop modes that feel like you're hacking the mainframe just to hear a MrBeast video while you wash dishes. If you’re tired of your screen burning a hole in your pocket (and your battery percentage), let’s get into the weeds of how this actually works in 2026.
The YouTube Premium reality check
Look, the simplest way to get YouTube play with screen off Android is just giving Google your money. YouTube Premium exists specifically to solve this "problem." When you subscribe, background play is toggled on by default. You lock the phone, the audio keeps humming, and you get a nice little media controller in your notification shade.
But it’s expensive. Prices have been creeping up. For many, paying $14 or more a month just to turn off a screen feels like a ransom note. If you're a heavy user who also wants YouTube Music and zero ads, it's a no-brainer. If you just want to listen to a video essay once a week while you commute? It’s a tough sell.
The interesting thing is how Google handles this across different regions. In some markets, background play is occasionally trialed for free users, but in the US, UK, and Europe, it’s locked tight. If you go this route, check your "Background & Downloads" settings in the app. Make sure "Playback" is set to "Always on." If it’s set to "Headphones or external speakers," the audio will still cut out the second you unplug your buds.
The Chrome browser trick that still (mostly) works
This is the classic "old school" move. It’s been around for years, and while Google tries to patch it, it usually survives in some form. You don't need a special app. You just need a browser. Most people try this in the mobile version of Chrome and fail because the mobile site is designed to stop the audio when the tab loses focus.
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Here is the secret sauce: Desktop Mode.
Open Chrome on your Android device and head to YouTube. Hit the three dots in the top right corner and check the box that says "Desktop site." The page will reload and look tiny and cramped. That’s good. Find your video and hit play. Now, go back to your home screen. The audio will stop. Don't panic. Swipe down your notification shade. You should see a media player there with a play button. Tap it.
Boom. The audio starts again. Now you can lock your screen, and the music stays on.
Is it perfect? No. It’s clunky. Navigating the desktop site on a 6-inch screen is a nightmare for your thumbs. Sometimes it glitches when you skip to the next track. But for a zero-dollar investment, it’s the most reliable "hack" available without installing third-party software that might steal your data.
Why Firefox might be better than Chrome for this
Firefox for Android is a different beast. Because it’s not built by the people who own YouTube, it’s a bit more "rebellious." Firefox supports actual extensions on mobile. You can go to the add-ons manager within the Firefox app and look for "Video Background Play Fix."
It does exactly what it says.
Once installed, you don't even have to mess with desktop mode half the time. You just play the video, switch apps or lock the screen, and the extension tricks the site into thinking the video is still visible. It’s a much smoother experience than the Chrome workaround because it feels native. Brave Browser is another solid alternative. It has a built-in "Playlist" feature. You add a video to your Brave Playlist, and it can play in the background or with the screen off by default. It’s actually one of the cleanest ways to handle YouTube play with screen off Android without a subscription.
Third-party apps: The gray area
We have to talk about the "Vanced" shaped hole in the heart of the Android community. For years, YouTube Vanced was the king. Then the lawyers showed up. Then ReVanced rose from the ashes.
These are third-party clients. They aren't on the Play Store. You have to sideload them. For a lot of people, this is too much work or feels too risky. You’re essentially downloading an APK from the internet and giving it permissions on your phone. If you go down this road, you need to be careful. Always use official GitHub repositories.
These apps work by patching the official YouTube app to unlock Premium features like ad-blocking and background play. It’s a cat-and-mouse game. Google breaks something; the developers fix it. It’s the ultimate way to get the feature, but it comes with the technical debt of having to update things manually and the slight security risk inherent in any sideloaded app.
The "Picture-in-Picture" pivot
Sometimes you don't actually need the screen off, you just want to do something else. Picture-in-Picture (PiP) is available for free in the US, but only for non-music videos. It’s a weird distinction Google makes. If you’re watching a gaming clip, you can swipe up, and it shrinks to a small window. If it's a music video, it shuts down unless you have Premium.
But here is a pro tip: If you use PiP, you can sometimes drag the little window off to the side of the screen so only a tiny sliver is showing. It’s not "screen off," but it’s close enough if you’re trying to save a bit of power or just get the video out of your face.
Battery optimization and why your audio keeps dying
Sometimes you have Premium, or you're using the Firefox trick, and the audio still stops after five minutes. This isn't YouTube's fault. It’s your phone's "Battery Optimization" settings.
Android is aggressive. It wants to kill anything running in the background to save juice. Samsung phones are notorious for this. To fix it:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Find your browser or YouTube.
- Tap Battery.
- Change it from "Optimized" to "Unrestricted."
This tells the operating system, "Hey, I know this app is sucking power in the background, leave it alone." Without this, your phone will eventually see the background audio process as a "leak" and snuff it out.
Summary of your best options
If you want the quickest path forward, here is the hierarchy of how to handle this.
The most stable way is just paying for Premium, but we know why you're here. If you want free and easy, use Brave Browser or Firefox with the "Video Background Play Fix" extension. It avoids the messiness of the Chrome desktop mode trick. If you are a power user and don't mind a bit of tinkering, looking into ReVanced is the gold standard, provided you're comfortable with sideloading.
Keep in mind that using third-party tools can sometimes lead to your Google account being flagged if you're violating Terms of Service aggressively, though this is rare for just background listening. Most people find that a dedicated "clean" browser like Brave is the perfect middle ground between the "it just works" feel of Premium and the "I'm not paying for this" reality of life.
Stop letting your screen drain your battery just because you want to listen to a 4-hour documentary on the fall of the Roman Empire. Pick a method, tweak your battery settings, and put your phone in your pocket.
Actually, the first thing you should do right now is download Firefox. It's the least "hacky" feeling solution that doesn't involve a monthly bill. Go to the add-ons, search for "Background Play," and you'll be set in about three minutes. Just remember to white-list it in your battery settings or the Android system will kill the fun before the first chorus ends.
Stay away from "Free YouTube Downloader" apps on the Play Store that claim to do this. Usually, they are just shells for the mobile website that spam you with their own ads, which is arguably worse than the problem you're trying to solve. Stick to reputable browsers or the official app paths. No need to overcomplicate a simple task. Go listen to your stuff. Keep the screen dark. Save that battery.