How to get YouTube to play in the background without a subscription


YouTube Music is one of the best places to consume music, and if you are fond of watching videos across genres, YouTube is the platform no one can beat. But if you aren’t a premium subscriber, you will have to deal with multiple unskippable ads, no background playback for YouTube and YouTube Music, and you will miss out on YouTube Originals. 

Even though I strongly recommend that you subscribe to YouTube Premium for the benefits it has to offer, I will talk about a legit way how to get YouTube to play in the background. YouTube Vanced has been discontinued for good, and if you are OK with ads, and don’t want the YouTube Originals, here I am with how to get YouTube to play in the background, totally for free.

So, without any further delay, let’s get started with how to get YouTube to play in the background. This is going to work both for YouTube, as well as YouTube Music, or any other app that you want to play in the background.

How to get YouTube to play in the background?

Open the Google Play Store and search for Black Screen. You can also follow the link to directly open the app page on the Google Play Store.


After you are done downloading the app, open the app, just like you open any other app. You will see a user interface like the one below.

Now, tap on ‘Enable black screen’ to enable the app’s abilities. You can also alternatively tick ‘Always on display’, if you have an OLED display, and you love this feature.

On enabling the app, you will find a small lock icon on your screen, which can be moved anywhere on the screen. This lock icon is how to get YouTube to play in the background by tapping on it.


Once you are into YouTube, YouTube Music, or any other app that stops playback when the screen is off, tap on the lock icon, and you will instantly get a dark screen as if the screen is off.

To unlock your screen, or turn the screen on, simply tap on the ‘Unlock’ button.



So, that’s how to get YouTube to play in the background. But, it doesn’t mean, you won’t see ads, or you can multitask while listening to songs on YouTube Music. This app just imitates a locked screen, and if you have an OLED display, this will look cool. 

However, if you have an IPS display, the backlight will still be on, and that will drain the battery. But this is still a subtle way to enjoy YouTube, YouTube Music, or other apps making the app think the screen is actually on.

So, that’s all about how to get YouTube to play in the background. Do you have any questions? Feel free to comment on the same below.


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