Mobile Browser Workarounds Blocked for Free Users.
YouTube has begun strictly enforcing its background playback policy, shutting down long-standing mobile browser workarounds and limiting the feature exclusively to YouTube Premium subscribers. According to reports, Google is now preventing videos from continuing to play when users switch apps or lock their screens on mobile browsers—a capability many free users previously accessed through browsers like Brave, Samsung Internet, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge.
Background playback has always been a core YouTube Premium feature, enabling uninterrupted audio and video playback even when the screen is off. Google confirmed that while some non-Premium users were earlier able to use this feature due to platform inconsistencies, the experience has now been standardised across devices and browsers.
User complaints surfaced last week, with Samsung Internet users among the first to notice the change, followed by reports from other popular Android browsers. For most users, videos now stop playing immediately when the browser is minimised or the phone is locked unless they are logged into a YouTube Premium account.
Despite the tighter controls, some temporary YouTube background playback workarounds are still circulating. A few Firefox users have reportedly enabled background play by modifying the browser’s user-agent string, while Brave is said to be testing updates to counter the block. However, these fixes may be short-lived as Google continues to strengthen enforcement.
The move signals Google’s push to drive YouTube Premium subscriptions, reinforcing paid features such as ad-free videos, offline downloads, and background playback. For free users, accessing background play on mobile is becoming increasingly difficult, highlighting YouTube’s growing focus on monetisation and platform consistency.
