There is a perception that YouTube in the background is only available in the Premium paid version. The official version is exactly like that. However, you can optionally launch the YouTube background and listen to music or videos while using workarounds. You can turn on your favorite track by opening another application or even minimizing your browser to the tray.

This feature is available for all devices, computers, and phones with iOS or Android. Only the approaches that a person should use in order to accomplish a task are different. Below we will consider how to watch YouTube in the background for different devices without additional costs and without switching to the paid version.

Instructions for PC
It is easy to start watching the YouTube video on your computer. All you need to do is turn on the video and switch to another tab or even collapse your browser. At this time, music from YouTube continues to play as usual. But it doesn’t take long. Over time, the system detects user inactivity and stops playback until certain actions are taken. The person must go to the site and confirm that he is browsing. In this case, the video starts from the moment it was stopped.

Thus, it is possible to open YouTube in the background for a short period of time. In this case, there is no point in the settings that disables the option. It has been specifically introduced to restrict viewing in the background, which is available only to owners of the paid version. This is also due to the fact that customers do not see advertisers’ ads, and the system is obliged to pay them money.

However, this restriction can be bypassed with special extensions. Let us highlight a few options.

NonStop plugin
An extension designed for Google Chrome and Firefox users. With its help, it is easy to enable background playback on YouTube. The principle of operation is simple. The extension detects a window with a request, and then automatically clicks on the button to continue viewing. The program does not need any additional user settings. Just install it in your browser and allow working in the background. The plugin works even when the YouTube tab is open in the background and the web Explorer is minimized.

Picture-in-Picture Viewer
This is another plugin that allows you to run YouTube in the background. It is designed to work with Google Chrome. The program needs to be installed and then a special icon appears in the corner of the web guide. Click on it. The message about disabling the Windows panel appears. There is no need to be afraid of this. Follow the link above and switch the Windows panel settings to the “enabled” position. Then close and open the web explorer again. After that launch the clip by clicking on the plugin icon. As a result, a YouTube video will open in a new window. After that, you can solve your business and work in other programs without worrying about closing YouTube.

As you can see, setting up YouTube in the background on a PC is not difficult. For this purpose, it is possible to use one of the available plugins and to spend some minutes for their adjustment. The list of extensions is constantly growing, so you can keep track of information in relation to your browser.

Instructions for Android
Now let’s look at how to watch YouTube in the background on an Android using special settings in browsers or installing additional applications.

Changing Settings
If you do not want to use additional programs, use the built-in Firefox and Google Chrome features. Update these web guides to the latest version, log in, and run your favorite video.

Then follow these steps:
1. Click on the three dots on the top right to open the menu.
2. Click the desktop or Full version section and wait for the reboot.
3. Launch your favorite video and tap the Menu or Home button to listen to the app in the background. In this case, the video stops.
4. Open the notification bar and start playing again. Make sure that the screen is not closed before clicking the Home link because in this case, the video will stop automatically.

Using this method, you can listen to YouTube and use the background mode without financial expenses.

Picture-in-picture
Another feature that is available on Android versions 8.0 and higher is picture-in-picture. Its essence is to open a small viewing screen when leaving YouTube. This window can be freely moved around the display and moved to any convenient place, resized, and entered into the mode control menu.

Previously this option was only available in the Red version, but now it can be used by all users (not just a subscriber).The disadvantage is that the function will not work with music. In this case, to put YouTube in the background on Android, you will have to buy a paid subscription. To check the OS version you need to enter settings, go to About phone section and specify the current operating system.

Mobile Applications
You can use special applications to view YouTube in the background. The most popular option is Pop-Up Video. Before listening to YouTube in the background, learn some nuances when using the software. The duration of viewing clips longer than five minutes is only available in the paid version. In addition, when trying to scroll video forward or backward, the application often takes off due to some internal error.

There is a number of other applications that are clones of YouTube and allow you to watch videos in the background. In some of them, you can make playlists, turn the volume up and down, and change other functions. For example, the following YouTube analogs are in demand-FreeTube, Play Lite for YouTube, and others. But before installing such software, you need to clarify the functionality and the ability to view videos in the background.