How To Stop YouTube Premium From Turning Off When My Phone Locks

Introduction

Youtube Premium is a popular subscription service that offers a range of exclusive features to enhance your YouTube experience. From ad-free viewing to offline downloads and background play, it’s a fantastic way to enjoy uninterrupted entertainment. However, many users have raised concerns about an issue they encounter when using YouTube Premium – the service turns off when their phone locks. This unexpected behavior can be frustrating, especially if you want to listen to music or podcasts while your phone is in your pocket or placed aside.

So, why does YouTube Premium turn off when your phone locks? Well, by default, when you lock your phone or switch to another app, the screen and audio output are turned off to save battery and data. This design choice, while efficient for most applications, can be an inconvenience for YouTube Premium users who wish to continue enjoying their favorite content without interruption.

To help you keep YouTube Premium playing with your phone locked, we have compiled several options and solutions that you can explore. Whether you’re an Android or iOS user, there are workarounds and settings tweaks that can enable background play, allowing you to continue listening to your beloved music or podcasts even when your phone is locked.

Why Does YouTube Premium Turn Off When Phone Locks?

It’s important to understand why YouTube Premium behaves this way when your phone locks. The primary reason is to optimize battery life and prevent unnecessary data usage. When your phone is locked or the YouTube app is running in the background, the device tries to conserve power by suspending unnecessary processes and limiting data usage. This is a common practice across mobile applications to ensure that your phone’s battery lasts longer throughout the day.

Another reason why YouTube Premium turns off when your phone locks is to prevent accidental playback and save bandwidth. When you lock your phone, it’s likely that you won’t be actively watching the video or listening to the audio from YouTube. Stopping the playback helps avoid accidental consumption of your data plan or disruption of your listening experience. This feature is especially crucial for users on limited data plans or those who prefer not to waste network resources on unattended playback.

While this default behavior is understandable from a battery-saving and data optimization standpoint, it can be inconvenient if you frequently use YouTube Premium for background playback purposes. Fortunately, there are several workarounds and solutions available that allow you to overcome this limitation and continue enjoying YouTube Premium content even when your phone is locked or the app is running in the background.

How to Keep YouTube Premium Playing with Phone Locked

If you want to keep YouTube Premium playing with your phone locked, there are several options and solutions to explore. Let’s take a look at them:

Option 1: Use YouTube Vanced: YouTube Vanced is a popular modified version of the YouTube app that offers additional features, including background playback. With YouTube Vanced installed on your Android device, you can enjoy YouTube Premium benefits like ad-free playback and background play, even when your phone is locked or the app is running in the background.

Option 2: Enable Picture-in-Picture Mode: Both Android and iOS devices offer a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, which allows you to minimize the YouTube app into a small window while performing other tasks on your phone. By enabling PiP mode, you can continue watching videos or listening to music from YouTube Premium while your phone is locked or you’re using other apps.

Option 3: Use a Background Play App: There are various third-party apps available on both Android and iOS platforms that enable background play for YouTube. These apps work by bypassing the default behavior of the YouTube app and allowing continuous playback even when your phone is locked. Some popular options include “NewPipe” (for Android) and “Musi

Option 1: Use YouTube Vanced

One of the most popular ways to keep YouTube Premium playing with your phone locked is by using a modified version of the YouTube app called YouTube Vanced. This alternative app offers additional features not available in the official YouTube app, including background playback.

With YouTube Vanced installed on your Android device, you can enjoy all the benefits of YouTube Premium, such as ad-free playback and background play, even when your phone is locked or the app is running in the background. This means you can continue listening to your favorite music, podcasts, or audio content without any interruptions.

Here’s how you can get started with YouTube Vanced:

1. First, you need to download and install the YouTube Vanced APK file. It’s important to note that YouTube Vanced is not available on the Google Play Store, so you will need to download it from a reliable source. Make sure to enable installation from unknown sources in your device settings before proceeding.
2. Once you have the APK file, open it to begin the installation process. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
3. After the installation is complete, launch YouTube Vanced. You will be prompted to log in with your Google account, just like you would with the official YouTube app.
4. Once you’re logged in, you’ll notice that the interface of YouTube Vanced is very similar to the official YouTube app. You can search for videos, create playlists, and access your subscriptions just like you would normally.
5. When you want to listen to YouTube Premium content with your phone locked, simply play the video or audio, and then lock your phone. You’ll find that the playback continues even when your phone is locked or you switch to another app.

YouTube Vanced offers a seamless experience for YouTube Premium subscribers who want to enjoy background play. However, it’s important to note that YouTube Vanced is a third-party app and not officially supported by YouTube. Make sure to download the app from a trusted source and exercise caution when installing any third-party applications on your device.

Option 2: Enable Picture-in-Picture Mode

Another option to keep YouTube Premium playing with your phone locked is by enabling the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode. Both Android and iOS devices offer this feature, allowing you to minimize the YouTube app into a small, floating window while you perform other tasks on your phone.

Enabling PiP mode for YouTube Premium provides a convenient way to continue watching videos or listening to music even when your phone is locked or you’re using other apps. Here’s how you can enable PiP mode for YouTube:

For Android users:

1. Start by opening the YouTube app on your Android device and play the video you want to watch.
2. Once the video is playing, navigate to your device’s home screen or switch to another app. This will automatically activate the PiP mode if your device supports it.
3. You’ll notice that the YouTube video window shrinks to a small floating window that can be moved around your screen.
4. You can tap on the floating window to bring up controls and access options like play/pause, skip, or close the PiP window.
5. If you want to continue listening to the audio of the YouTube video with your phone locked, simply lock your phone while the PiP window is active. The audio will keep playing in the background.

For iOS users:

1. To enable PiP mode on iOS, start by playing a YouTube video in the YouTube app on your device.
2. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the Control Center.
3. Swipe right or left, depending on your device model and iOS version, to find the PiP button.
4. Tap on the PiP button, and you’ll notice that the YouTube video window minimizes into a floating window.
5. You can now navigate to other apps or lock your phone, and the PiP window will remain visible, allowing you to continue watching or listening to the YouTube video.

Enabling Picture-in-Picture mode gives you the flexibility to multitask while keeping your YouTube Premium content playing. Whether you’re using an Android or iOS device, take advantage of this built-in feature to enjoy background playback with your phone locked.

Option 3: Use a Background Play App

If you’re looking for an alternative solution to keep YouTube Premium playing with your phone locked, you can turn to third-party apps specifically designed to enable background play for YouTube. These apps bypass the default behavior of the YouTube app and allow continuous playback even when your phone is locked or the app is running in the background.

There are various background play apps available for both Android and iOS platforms. Here are a few popular options:

For Android users:

• NewPipe: NewPipe is a free and open-source app that allows you to watch YouTube videos in the background. It provides an ad-free experience and lets you listen to YouTube Premium content even with your phone locked or while using other apps.
• OgYouTube: OgYouTube is another popular background play app for Android. It offers similar functionality to NewPipe, allowing you to play YouTube videos in the background and continue listening to the audio when your phone is locked.

For iOS users:

• Cercube for YouTube: Cercube is a feature-rich app available for iOS devices that enhances the YouTube experience. It provides background play functionality, enabling you to listen to YouTube Premium content with your phone locked or while using other apps.
• Musi: Musi is a free music streaming app for iOS that integrates with YouTube. It allows you to create playlists, discover new music, and play YouTube videos in the background, even when your phone is locked.

When using a background play app, it’s important to ensure that you download them from trustworthy sources and exercise caution when granting permissions. Remember to be mindful of your device’s security and only use apps that have positive reviews and ratings.

By utilizing these background play apps, you can overcome the limitation of YouTube Premium turning off when your phone locks. They provide an effective way to continue enjoying your favorite YouTube Premium content with your phone locked or while multitasking on other apps.

Option 4: Check Battery Optimization Settings

If you’re experiencing issues with YouTube Premium turning off when your phone locks, it’s worth checking your device’s battery optimization settings. Some devices have aggressive battery-saving features that can interfere with the background play functionality of apps, including YouTube.

Here’s how you can check and adjust battery optimization settings on Android and iOS:

For Android users:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery” or “Battery & performance.”
3. Look for “Battery optimization” or a similar option and tap on it.
4. You’ll see a list of apps on your device. Search for the “YouTube” app and tap on it.
5. Choose “Don’t optimize” or “Not optimized” to exclude YouTube from the battery optimization process. This ensures that the app can run in the background without being affected by battery-saving settings.

For iOS users:

1. Go to the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery” or “Battery Health.”
3. Tap on “Battery Usage by App” or “Battery Health & Usage.”
4. You’ll see a list of apps and their battery usage statistics. Look for the “YouTube” app.
5. If you find YouTube listed with low background activity, tap on it and select “Always” or “While Using the App” to allow YouTube to run in the background even when your phone is locked.

By adjusting the battery optimization settings for YouTube, you can ensure that the app is allowed to run in the background without being affected by aggressive power-saving measures. This may help in keeping YouTube Premium playing even with your phone locked.

Keep in mind that the steps to access battery optimization settings may vary slightly depending on your device’s manufacturer and Android/iOS version. If you’re unable to find the exact options mentioned above, try exploring the battery or power-saving settings on your device to locate the relevant settings.

Option 5: Disable Smart Lock

If you have Smart Lock enabled on your device, it may be the reason why YouTube Premium turns off when your phone locks. Smart Lock is a feature that allows your device to stay unlocked in certain trusted locations or when connected to trusted devices. Disabling Smart Lock can help ensure that your phone locks when you want it to and prevent YouTube Premium from stopping playback.

To disable Smart Lock on your Android or iOS device, follow these steps:

For Android users:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Security” or “Lock screen and security.”
3. Look for “Smart Lock” or “Trusted devices” and tap on it.
4. If you have trusted places or trusted devices set up, remove them by tapping on each option and following the instructions to disable them.
5. Once you’ve disabled all trusted places and devices, Smart Lock will no longer keep your device unlocked, and YouTube Premium will operate as expected even when your phone locks.

For iOS users:

1. Go to the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Face ID & Passcode” or “Touch ID & Passcode.”
3. Enter your passcode to access the settings.
4. Scroll down to the “Allow Access When Locked” section.
5. If you have any options such as “Home Control,” “Wallet,” or “USB Accessories” enabled, turn them off by toggling the switches. This will disable Smart Lock functionality and ensure that your device locks when you want it to.

By disabling Smart Lock, you can ensure that your device locks promptly when you press the power button, preventing YouTube Premium from turning off when your phone locks. This option is particularly useful if you haven’t intentionally designated any trusted locations or devices and want your phone to lock consistently.

Remember that disabling Smart Lock will require you to manually unlock your device using your PIN, password, pattern, or biometric authentication every time you want to access it. Consider the trade-off between convenience and security before disabling this feature.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the default behavior of YouTube Premium is to turn off when your phone locks, as a means of conserving battery life and preventing unnecessary data usage. While this is efficient for most applications, it can be inconvenient for those who want to continue accessing YouTube Premium content with their phone locked.

Fortunately, there are several options and solutions available to overcome this limitation. You can use YouTube Vanced, a modified version of the YouTube app that offers background playback. Another option is to enable the Picture-in-Picture mode, available on both Android and iOS devices, allowing you to minimize the YouTube app and continue watching or listening to content while performing other tasks. Additionally, there are third-party apps that enable background play for YouTube, such as NewPipe for Android and Cercube for YouTube for iOS.

Checking and adjusting the battery optimization settings can also help ensure that YouTube Premium continues playing when your phone is locked. Likewise, disabling Smart Lock on your device can prevent YouTube Premium from stopping when your phone locks due to trusted locations or devices.

By exploring these options and solutions, you can enjoy uninterrupted playback of YouTube Premium content even when your phone is locked or the app runs in the background.

Remember to choose the solution that best suits your device and preferences, and be cautious when installing third-party apps or making changes to your device settings. Enjoy your uninterrupted YouTube Premium experience, no matter the state of your phone!