How to Play YouTube Videos When Your Phone Screen is Off

Like most devices, your Android will pause any YouTube video you are playing whenever you lock your phone. This can be an annoying feature if you’d prefer to listen to the audio from a video, rather than watch a video, while you do other tasks. Perhaps you want to listen to a YouTube video with the screen off to preserve your phone’s battery life. Or, you want to listen to a news podcast, a live musical performance, or a cooking show without the distraction of the video footage. Whatever your reason, there are a few different ways that you can continue to play a YouTube video on a locked — or black — Android screen.

YouTube Red

This subscription service, available for $9.99/month, offers background play and offline access for uninterrupted listening. Simply adjust the background and offline settings in the YouTube app to ensure that your device continues to play the audio from videos when your screen is locked. Other features of the service include ad-free videos and original YouTube shows.

Download the Firefox App

This browser app will allow you to play YouTube videos in the background with your phone screen off, but with minimal control of the videos. After downloading the app, go to the settings to request the desktop version of Firefox. Then go to the YouTube website and click on the video you want to play in the background. This process will allow the audio to continue to play, even when your phone screen is off.

Simulate a Locked Screen

If you don’t care if your phone is actually locked, download Blackr by Neximo Labs. It is a free app available in the Play store. The app offers a way to simulate a black, locked screen so that you can continue to run various apps on your phone, such as YouTube, without the distraction of video footage or draining your phone battery. Other free black screen apps are available in the Play store as well.

Secure Your Device with PSafe

There are many different ways that malware can infect your device — even YouTube can be affected by malware now and then. However, many malicious apps are designed to mimic popular apps in the Play store. These malicious apps can be downloaded thousands of times before Google can remove them. Avoid suspicious-looking apps, such as apps with off-looking designs or apps that request unnecessary permissions or information from your phone. Cyber awareness is the first step in protecting your device against malware. The next step you can take is to download antivirus software. Download PSafe Total for your Android to protect your device against malicious threats 24/7.

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