Danny Weber
19:44 02-02-2026
© E. Vartanyan
YouTube has closed a loophole allowing free background playback on Android via third-party browsers. Learn how this affects users and browsers like Samsung Internet and Brave.
YouTube has closed a long-standing loophole that allowed Android smartphone owners to listen to videos in the background for years through third-party browsers without a Premium subscription. Now, when minimizing the window or turning off the screen, playback automatically stops for free users, and the service no longer allows circumventing the restriction through familiar methods.
According to Moneycontrol, the number of complaints from Android device owners has sharply increased. The new restrictions have affected popular browsers, including Samsung Internet, Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge, which previously enabled background playback. Users report that the sound disappears almost immediately after locking the display or switching to another app. Checks confirm that YouTube has changed its operational algorithms.
A similar situation is observed on iOS in Safari: playback controls disappear from the lock screen if the account lacks Premium. In practice, the subscription changes the service's behavior—even if playback is temporarily interrupted, the buttons remain accessible, allowing for quick resumption of viewing.