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Google has quietly shut down a loophole that allowed many users to play YouTube videos in the background without paying for YouTube Premium.
Most people use YouTube Premium to get rid of ads. But background playback has always been one of its most useful features, especially for those who use YouTube for music, podcasts, or long videos. Until now, many users avoided paying for Premium by using mobile browsers like Samsung Internet, Brave, or Vivaldi. These browsers allowed videos to keep playing even when the screen was locked or the app was minimized.
Over the past few days, users started reporting that this workaround no longer works. Google has now confirmed that the change is intentional. According to the company, background playback is meant to be a Premium-only feature. Google said that while some free users were able to access it through mobile web browsers in certain situations, the experience has now been updated to stay consistent across all platforms.
Google has not shared how widespread the change is, but the impact is already clear. For many users, the easiest and most popular workaround is now gone. Other methods still exist, but they are more complicated and not something an average user would bother with.
This move is not surprising. YouTube has been steadily tightening control over features that sit behind its subscription plan. First, it went harder on ad blockers. Now, it is closing gaps around background playback.
Users should either live without background playback or pay for YouTube Premium. If a feature is paid, Google no longer wants free alternatives quietly competing with it.
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