Launch the YouTube app on Android or iOS smartphone. Choose a video you want to watch and start playing it. Turn off the screen or switch to another app while the video is playing. The video will continue to play in the background, even if you're not actively using the app.
Background play only works in the YouTube mobile apps and requires a YouTube Premium membership. Some videos aren't available for background play or to download offline, even if you have a channel membership.
Background play only works in the YouTube mobile apps and requires a YouTube Premium membership. Some videos aren't available for background play or to download offline, even if you have a channel membership.
With a YouTube Music Premium membership, you can listen to music and podcasts uninterrupted while using other apps or when your screen is off.
Go to your YouTube Settings and click on the “General” tab to turn this feature off. Then, scroll down to the “Remind Me to Take a Break” section and set the toggle to “Off”. Once you've done this, your videos should no longer pause automatically after 20 minutes.
It's because YouTube music doesn't allow playback while screen off. It's only a premium feature, provided by YouTube. Playback feature while screen off is only available for premium subscriptions.
Update YouTube on Your iPhone, iPad, or Android Phone
The YouTube app on your phone may be experiencing an issue, causing the PiP mode not to work. This usually happens if you're using an outdated version of the app. If that's the case, update the app on your phone, and your issue will be fixed.
Android devices can use Chrome's Picture-in-Picture capabilities by tapping the App Overview button. The video you are watching in Chrome (or any video app) will be minimized into the corner of the screen.
You can use picture-in-picture (PiP) to watch content across YouTube, with a YouTube Premium membership. If you don't have YouTube Premium and are in the United States, you can still use PiP, but you can't watch certain content, like music videos.