{"id":51069,"date":"2026-02-23T16:45:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=51069"},"modified":"2026-02-23T16:45:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:45:56","slug":"youtube-blocks-background-playback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/23\/youtube-blocks-background-playback\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Blocks Background Playback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jon Martindale<\/a> (Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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Typically, YouTube will stop playing on your phone or tablet if you turn off the screen; if you want to listen to an hour-long playlist or podcast on your next walk with your device locked in your pocket, you need to pay $13.99 per month.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Dwayne Cubbins<\/a> (Hacker News<\/a>, Slashdot<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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While a majority of reports<\/a> are coming from Samsung Internet users, it’s not the only browser impacted. Users on Brave<\/a>, Vivaldi<\/a>, and even Microsoft Edge<\/a> have complained about the issue.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

When users try to minimize the browser or turn off their screen, the audio cuts out. On Samsung devices, some users noticed<\/a> a fleeting notification that said “MediaOngoingActivity” right before the media controls vanished entirely.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

For years, people have relied on these mobile browser workarounds to get a free taste of what YouTube Premium offers: ad-free viewing and, crucially, background audio. This sudden, simultaneous failure across multiple browsers strongly suggests a targeted change by YouTube.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

We’ve already reported on YouTube’s fresh crackdown on third-party clients like NewPipe<\/a>. So it won’t be a stretch to assume that YouTube is indeed patching such workarounds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Ryan McNeal<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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A Google spokesperson has confirmed to Android Authority<\/em> that YouTube has been updated so that non-Premium users can no longer access background playback[…]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Liv McMahon<\/a> (Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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Google has revealed YouTube brought in more than $60bn (£44bn) in revenue in 2025 as the firm targets getting more subscribers.<\/p>\n

The figure, which totals the money generated through advertising on YouTube as well as paid subscriptions, far surpasses streaming rival Netflix’s $45bn revenue.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Chris Menahan<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Today, @TeamYouTube fully removed<\/em> the ability to search by upload date by killing the last workaround (appending the URL with &sp=CAISAhAB<\/code>).<\/p>\n

The feedback they got on this change last month was overwhelmingly negative, but rather than listen to their users, they chose to remove all workarounds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n