Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Play YouTube audio in background on iPhone: Simple trick allows for listening to music after shutting down app

Some earbuds and the official YouTube app are all that you need

Andrew Griffin
Thursday 25 February 2016 19:10 GMT
Comments

Perhaps the most irritating thing about YouTube videos is that there’s no way to listen to them on your phone, rather than just watch. Until now.

Using the YouTube app, iPhone or iPad users can keep listening to music while they get on with something else. And all that’s needed is some headphones with a controller.

To force YouTube audio to keep playing in the background, open up the relevant video and start it playing. Then press the home button so that the app closes, at which point the audio will stop.

But if you then press the play button on your earbuds, the sound will start playing again. You’ll be able to navigate the phone or lock it, and the songs will keep playing as normal.

The video will only play to the end, and it will stop as soon as you unplug your earphones. But the trick works as a simply way of using YouTube as an alternative to Spotify or Soundcloud, free and with access to plenty of songs that aren’t on normal streaming services.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in