YouTube Blocks Free Background Playback In Third-Party Browsers

After cracking down on the use of ad blockers, YouTube has started closing another “loophole” that allowed non-paying users to access a premium feature.

Reports circulating online indicate that YouTube is no longer allowing background playback through third-party browsers. Previously, users could open a video in browsers such as Samsung Internet, Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Vivaldi and continue listening to the audio while the phone screen was turned off or while using other apps.

According to posts on Reddit and on the social network X (formerly Twitter), minimizing the browser or turning off the smartphone screen now causes videos to pause automatically. Some users have also reported briefly seeing a notification displaying the text “MediaOngoingActivity” before media controls disappear entirely.

Background play issue
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This apparent change has raised suspicions that YouTube is implementing a new measure aimed at preventing free users from bypassing paid features. Google has been increasingly active in restricting access to what it classifies as “premium functionalities,” reinforcing the distinction between free usage and subscription-based benefits.

For now, the situation appears inconsistent. While several users have reported that background playback no longer works in browsers such as Brave, at least one user claimed the feature later resumed functioning on that same platform. These mixed reports suggest that the behavior may be tied to testing, gradual rollout, or temporary instability rather than a fully enforced policy.

A Google spokesperson confirmed to Android Authority that YouTube has been updated to prevent non-Premium users from accessing background playback.

It is also worth noting that Google has plans to restrict additional key features of its video platform to paying subscribers. These initiatives have already generated frustration among parts of the user base, particularly those accustomed to accessing advanced functionality without a subscription.

Filed in Cellphones >Computers >Tablets. Read more about Google and YouTube.