YouTube Auto-Playing Issue after upgrade to iOS 18.1

I’m on 18.2 and this will happen even if the YouTube app isn’t opened or in the background. It straight up plays a random video in the background that I haven’t played, with no Lock Screen info or island info when unlocked, and I have to open the YouTube app then force close it to get it to stop.

Opening the YouTube app doesn’t even show the video that was being played. It’s very eerie and unsettling.

Same her trying to see if disabling background refresh solves the issue

PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUTUBE!

I contacted their support team only for them to tell me that noone has ever reported the bug before, so they can't fix it.

please report it to them!

I’m still on 17.6.1 and this has been happening to me - once a few nights ago and again just a few minutes ago. All apps were closed and this video just randomly started in the background. As many have already pointed out, I had to open the app and close it again for it to stop.

This is has been occurring for a while now.I believe. I submitted a review in the issue because I tried to correct it my hard resetting my phone, but with no luck. Guess it is something they overlooked or not about of people reported the issue. It is still occurring as well and now my girlfriend is experiencing it after her phone was updated.

[Edited by Moderator]

Experiencing the exact same issue, Youtube starts to randomly play Shorts/Videos even when IPhone is locked. The Youtube App must be open in the Background otherwise the issue does not occur. Very very annoying as it happens randomly throughout the day.

23.11.2024 Issue still persisting

I have this same problem, infact it has been coming on and off since almost 1 year, but ever since iOS 18.1 its happening more frequently.

It can be extremely embarrassing, I had it randomly start playing when in meeting rooms at work, or in an elevator, or sometimes walking in the street. Very embarrassing and not acceptable to have a bug like this. Also tells me iOS is not so secure if it allows a program to run itself this way in the background without actually being loaded up.

it also plays random stuff, that's not on my playlist

The same happened with me. Suddenly some video made noise and i was at office.

It is seriously some kind of vulnerability. The point is i am using Youtube premium and it is having the provision to play without the screen to be on.

I am using 18.0 within Iphone13. Not even the 18.1. I guess here the problem might be the youtube application not the iphone. But still such a possibility need to be checked from the Apple itself.

This is happening to me as well. Twice in the last 24 hours I've heard voice or sound coming out of my iPhone 15 Pro on iOS 18.1.1 and it only stops when I force quit YouTube, which may be 5 or 10 apps back in my recent apps list.

has been happening to me as well- youtube shorts for me but like youtube shorts isn't supposed to play in the background in the first place like youtube videos for youtube premium users..

even though my volume isn't on, its boosting its volume, youtube app isn't even opened (in fact, my iPhone is locked) and if I go into my youtube and go under history, there seems to be a video that was "played" which has the corresponding audio that has been playing even though I never watched it. really creepy, its like someone hacked my phone/youtube :P

Still happening on iOS 18.2 public release. YouTube app seems to be the culprit since the moment I close it from task switcher, it stops.

It’s almost certainly a bug in the YouTube app.

I'm on 17.6.1 and this is also happening to me. I think it's a problem with the Youtube app itself.

Hello!

This is happening to me but what makes it even weirder is that YouTube isn’t even in my task switcher. I’ve had to completely restart my phone to stop it when it’s happened the last few times.

Posted in the Googles youtube community.

https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/312109967?hl=en