If YouTube Premium stops when your phone locks, open the YouTube app and check Settings > Background & Downloads > Background Play. Set it to Always on, then confirm you’re signed in to the Google account that has the active Premium membership. If playback still stops, work through the checks below.
What the Background Play options do
YouTube’s Background Play feature lets eligible content continue in the mobile app when you turn off the screen or switch apps. YouTube says the feature requires Premium and is available in its YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube Kids mobile apps where the benefit is offered. Availability and eligible content can vary by location. See YouTube Premium benefits and Background play troubleshooting.
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| Setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Always on | Background playback is permitted when you leave the app or lock the screen. |
| Off | Playback does not continue in the background. |
| Headphones or external speakers | Background playback is permitted only while a supported external audio output is connected. |
YouTube says Always on is the default, but the setting may have been changed. Shorts are not eligible for Background Play.
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Fix playback that stops when the screen locks
- Confirm the Premium account. In YouTube, tap your profile picture and open Paid memberships or Manage. Check that the signed-in account is the one with the active Premium membership. If needed, sign out and back in. If you subscribed through iTunes, use the YouTube account associated with that purchase.
- Set Background Play to Always on. Go to Settings > Background & Downloads > Background Play and select Always on. Menu labels can vary by app version. If you choose Headphones or external speakers, playback stopping after disconnecting that output is expected.
- Update and restart. Install any available YouTube app update, close and reopen YouTube, and restart your phone if the issue continues.
- Check background access and other audio. Make sure YouTube is allowed to use background or mobile data, and check whether another open app is playing audio. YouTube also recommends checking your connection and notification settings. These are diagnostic checks, not proof that any particular setting is the cause.
- Check for phone-specific restrictions. If YouTube’s account, app, and connection checks do not resolve the problem, consult your phone maker’s current guidance for background-app access and restrictions. The correct controls differ across phone models and operating-system versions.
Use Picture-in-Picture only if you want to keep video visible
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) displays a floating video while you use other apps. It is separate from Background Play, which is the setting to check for audio after the phone locks.
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For PiP, enable permission in Android’s YouTube app settings and turn on PiP in YouTube’s Settings > Playback. YouTube says that, for Premium members, dismissing the PiP window continues playback as Background Play. PiP is not required to enable lock-screen audio; set Background Play to Always on instead. Details are in YouTube’s Android PiP instructions.
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YouTube’s PiP instructions require iOS 15.0 or later and two controls: in iOS, go to Settings > General > Picture-in-picture and enable Start PiP Automatically; in YouTube, go to Settings > Playback and enable Picture-in-Picture. YouTube says PiP is on by default on iOS 15 and later unless Background Play has been turned off in YouTube. For lock-screen audio, check Background Play separately. See YouTube’s iOS PiP instructions.
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What to send YouTube support if it still stops
Note whether sound stops immediately after you leave YouTube or continues briefly, and record any error message shown when you return. YouTube’s troubleshooting guidance also suggests submitting in-app feedback with system logs selected. These details help describe the failure without assuming a single cause.
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