Everyone is watching YouTube! True, “watching” is a rather broad concept and, as statistics show, more than 50 percent of content is consumed in audio format. In other words, they listen. There are no problems with this on the computer – it turned on, made the sound louder and you can switch to another tab in the browser. But on a smartphone, this is much more difficult.
As a result, you either have to keep the screen on all the time, or pay for a subscription. The first option leads to overheating of the device, rapid battery consumption, and the risk of accidentally pressing pause or rewind. In the second case, everything is simpler, but you have to pay, and not everyone wants it. In this article, I will show you the easiest and most legal ways to listen to YouTube with your smartphone-locked screen.
You can not only watch videos on YouTube but also listen to them.
How To Listen To YouTube With The Screen Turned Off
Most users have come to terms with this state of affairs and simply do not turn off the smartphone screen when they want to listen to the contents of the video. YouTube itself does not have a setting that allows you to continue playing when the screen is locked. It appears only if you pay for a subscription, but we will return to this later.
YouTube Audio Via Google Chrome
The first method is quite simple and does not require you to install additional applications or pay anything. The only time you need to install something is when you uninstalled the Google Chrome browser and don’t have Mozilla Firefox installed as an alternative.
It’s easier to choose Chrome because everyone has it. The sequence is:
- Go to the YouTube website
- By clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner, select from the drop-down menu to open the full (PC) version of the site
- Open the video on the YouTube website page (NOT in the app)
- start the video
- Lock your smartphone
Please note that the first time you lock the screen, audio playback stops. You will need to activate the screen and press Play. The screen will display the normal player controls at this point. This is the only way to play the sound when the phone is locked without paying for a subscription, that is, through the full version of the site.
YouTube Via NewPipe
The second way you can listen to YouTube with your screen off is by installing the NewPipe app. Now downloading this app is not an easy procedure as it is not available in the Google Play store. At the same time, the application is not as stable as we would like. Simply put, only use it if you really don’t want to use the above browser method.
You cannot listen to videos with the screen off through the application without paying for a Premium subscription
To install NewPipe, you need to check out the F-Droid alternative app store. If you’re wary of this, please note that F-Droid has been around for a while and is widely regarded as a safe place to download Android apps.
To download NewPipe, follow this link, search for NewPipe, and download the Newpipe APK file. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the app.
Naturally, you will receive a warning that such a download may not be safe, and as soon as you install the application, open it and search for what you need.
Although this article is about how to watch YouTube videos in the background and not pay for it, I can’t help but say about the subscription. Moreover, it is not so expensive, but it provides other benefits besides background browsing.
More than half of the content on YouTube is consumed in audio format.
The most important plus will be the complete absence of advertising. That is, you can simply open the video (in the application, browser, smart TV, and other places) and watch it immediately, rather than waiting a few seconds before the video starts. It is very convenient, and after using it for a month, you will not want to return to advertising. At the same time, snickering bloggers will get a pretty penny. And there will also be a full background mode and the ability to download videos for offline viewing.
How To Listen To Music With YouTube Background On iPhone
To make the instruction complete, it is necessary to say how to do everything described above on the iPhone. Especially since the process is slightly different.
Do the following steps:
- Download an alternative browser for your iPhone, such as Opera or Dolphin.
- Once you’re signed into your new browser, open the mobile version of YouTube.
- Now find the video you want to play in the browser (It’s important to stay on the mobile version of YouTube)
When a video is playing, opening another app or locking the screen will cause the video to pause. This is where the trick comes in. Pull out the top control curtain and start playback in this way.