8 Fixes for YouTube Premium Not Playing in Background on Android and iPhone
One of the most useful features ofYouTube Premiumis the ability to play videos in the background on your phone. This allows you to listen to music and podcasts, or watch content while multitasking or with the screen turned off. However, you may have trouble doing that if YouTube Premium stops playing in the background on your Android or iPhone. Fortunately, it’s possible to fix the problem with the tips mentioned in this guide. So, let’s check them out.
Table of Contents
1. Check Your YouTube Premium Subscription Status
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to check your YouTube Premium subscription status before trying anything else. To do so, use these steps:
1.Open theYouTubeapp, switch to theYoutab, and tap thegear iconin the top right corner.
2.Tap onPurchases and membershipand check your membership status in the following menu.
If your subscription has expired, you will need to renew it. If the YouTube app is not playing videos in the background despite having an active Premium subscription, you might be in an unsupported country or region.
Head over to Google’s support page to viewa list of countries where YouTube Premium is available. If you’re in a region where YouTube Premium is not supported, background play won’t work.
2. Enable Background Play From YouTube Settings
Next, you need to ensure that you haven’t disabled background playback for YouTube videos when locking your phone. Here’s how to check.
1.Open theYouTubeapp, head to theYoutab, and tap thegear iconin the top right corner.
2.Tap onBackground & downloads.
3.Tap onPlaybackand selectAlways on.
3. Enable Background Data Usage for YouTube (Android)
Another reason why the YouTube app may not play videos in the background is if you’ve applied background data restrictions to it. Here’s how to remove them.
1.Long press on theYouTubeapp icon and tap theinfo iconfrom the resulting menu.
2.Tap onMobile dataand turn on the toggles next toAllow background data usageandAllow data usage while Data saver is on.
4. Disable Battery Saver Mode
Enabling battery saver mode can also prevent the YouTube app from playing videos when you leave the app or lock your phone. Try disabling battery saver mode on your phone to see if it resolves the issue.
1.Open theSettingsapp on your Android.
2.Scroll down to tap onBatteryand turn off the toggle next toPower saving.
1.Open theSettingsapp on your iPhone.
2.Tap onBatteryand turn off theLow Power Modetoggle.
5. Restart Your Phone
At times, temporary glitches with your Android or iPhone can hinder the YouTube app’s background video playback. This can also happen if another app is already playing audio on your device. To fix such issues,restart your phoneand then try using the YouTube app again.
6. Sign Out and Sign Back In
Signing out and then back into the YouTube app is an effective method for resolvingissues with YouTube Premium featureslike background play. This should help address any account-specific issues that may have been causing the problem.
1.Open theYouTubeapp on your Android and tap theYoutab. Tap theSwitch accountbutton and selectManage accounts.
2.Select your account from the list.
3.Tap theRemove accountbutton. SelectRemove accountagain to confirm.
4.Return to the YouTube app and tap theGoogle Accountbutton. SelectAdd another accountand sign in with your account.
1.Open theYouTubeapp and switch to theYoutab. Tap onSwitch accountand select theUse YouTube signed outoption.
2.Tap theYoutab again and select theSign inoption.
Once you sign back into the YouTube app, the issue should be resolved.
7. Make Sure YouTube Notifications Are Enabled
Have you turned off notifications for the YouTube app? That could cause YouTube Premium to stop playing in the background on your Android or iPhone. To avoid this, you need to enable notifications for the YouTube app using these steps:
1.Long press on theYouTubeapp icon and tap theinfoicon from the resulting menu.
2.Tap onNotificationsand enable the toggle next toAllow notifications.
1.Open theSettingsapp and scroll down to tap onYouTube.
2.Tap onNotificationsand enable the toggle next toAllow Notifications.
8. Update the App
YouTube, like any other app on your phone, receives regular updates. If you have been ignoring these updates, now might be a good time to install them. If the issue is caused by a bug, updating the app should help.
Head over to the Play Store or App Store toupdate the YouTube appand then try using it again.
Enjoy Background Play Magic
YouTube Premium’s background play feature can come in handy when you want to listen to a video while using other apps orsave battery lifeby turning off the screen during playback. However, the feature may not work flawlessly all the time. One or more of the above tips should help fix any underlying issue and get the YouTube app to seamlessly play videos in the background on your Android or iPhone.
Pankil Shah
Pankil is a Civil Engineer by profession who started his journey as a writer back in 2016. He joined TechWiser in March 2021 as a freelance writer to cover buying guides, explainers, and tips & tricks for Android, iOS, Windows, and Web.
