YouTube background play only works in the YouTube mobile apps with a Premium membership, and it never works in the Shorts player. If it stops the moment you leave the app, check the Background play setting first: if it's set to Headphones or external speakers, videos only keep playing when something's connected. After that, YouTube's fixes are to restart the app, sign in again and update the app.
Background play is one of the main reasons people pay for Premium, so it's frustrating when the sound cuts out as soon as you lock your phone. YouTube's own troubleshooting page for iPhone and Android covers the causes, and the setting below is the one most people never knew they'd changed.
The setting that stops background play
YouTube has three options for background play. You'll find them in Settings, then Background play under Background and downloads:
| Setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Always on | Videos always keep playing in the background. This is the default. |
| Headphones or external speakers | Videos only play in the background when you're connected to headphones, speakers or another audio output |
| Off | Videos never play in the background |
If someone else has used your phone, or you tapped through settings once, the middle option is easy to miss. It looks like background play is broken when you take your earbuds out, but it's doing exactly what it was told.
Videos that won't play in the background at all
- Shorts. YouTube says background play isn't available in the Shorts player.
- Some videos aren't available for background play or downloads, even if you have a channel membership.
- On Premium Lite, background play doesn't work on music content, such as official music videos, Art Tracks and children's songs, or on Shorts.
- On a computer or TV. Background play is a mobile app feature only.
Fixes to try, in order
These steps come from YouTube's help page, which is the same for iPhone and Android:
- Close the YouTube app or restart your phone. YouTube says a device that's been running a long time may not have enough resources for background play.
- Check your Premium membership hasn't expired: tap your profile picture, then Paid memberships, then Manage.
- Sign out and back in to the account that pays for Premium, and check you see the YouTube Premium logo.
- Check you're in a country where Premium is available. The benefits only work there.
- Check the Background play setting described above.
- Update the YouTube app. YouTube notes that a new or restored phone can come with an old version, and versions below 12.0 are considered outdated.
- Make sure background data is allowed for YouTube in your phone's mobile data settings.
- Close any other app that's playing audio. YouTube says background play won't work while another app plays sound.
- Check you haven't blocked all notifications for YouTube. YouTube says that can stop the app running smoothly in the background, so turn them back on at the phone level and switch off the ones you don't want inside YouTube instead.
Does it stop straight away or after a while?
This is the detail YouTube support asks for, and it points to different causes. If the sound stops the moment you leave the app, it's usually the setting, your account or a Shorts or music video. If it plays for a while and then stops, think about resources and connections: restart the phone, close other audio apps, and check notifications and background data. When you contact support, say which of the two you're seeing and note any error message you see when you go back to the app.
If you've just rejoined Premium
YouTube says that if you lost Premium and then signed up again, it can take a few hours for saved videos to become available again. If you need one straight away, tap More on the video and choose Retry download.
Travelling and background play
Premium benefits follow you to countries where Premium or Premium Lite is sold. In a country where it isn't, background play stops working, though videos you downloaded before you left stay available offline for 30 days.
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Without Premium
Background play is a Premium feature, so it isn't meant to work on a free account. Picture-in-picture is the closest free option: YouTube says it's available to everyone on iOS and Android for non-music videos, while music videos need Premium. If you're on an iPhone and want the full picture, my guide on getting YouTube to play in the background on iPhone covers it, and if you're thinking of Lite, check what YouTube Premium Lite includes first.
My verdict
Before you restart anything, open Settings and look at Background play. It's the one fix that takes five seconds and solves the most confusing version of this problem. If it's set to Always on and still failing, work down the list: account, app update, other audio apps. And if it only fails on Shorts or songs, that's YouTube's rules, not a fault. If downloads are your workaround, YouTube Smart Downloads can keep fresh videos on your phone for when you're offline.
Frequently asked questions
Why is YouTube background play not working?
Check the Background play setting, your Premium membership and that you're signed in to the right account. Background play never works in the Shorts player, and only works in the mobile apps.
Why does YouTube stop playing when I take my headphones out?
Your Background play setting is probably on Headphones or external speakers. Change it to Always on in Settings, under Background and downloads.
Does YouTube Premium Lite include background play?
Yes for most videos, but not for music content or Shorts.
Does background play work on Shorts?
No. YouTube says background play isn't available in the Shorts player.
