Youtube won't play in the background on iOS 10.1.1?

I had the same problem,

I found out that if you turn desktop mode on for youtube you will be able to listen in the background again. All you have to do is open safari and go to youtube, at the top right hand corner beside the search bar click the menu tab (3 dots). It should have a list of options and the last option should say desktop. If you enable that you should be able to play background music again. However, the website would look the same as it does on a computer.

Good luck 🙂

Hello! While it doesn't actually fix the issue, there's a very simple way to BYPASS the new restriction (thought you might all wanna give it a go). This can be used to both listen to YT while using other apps and while using other tabs.

-SEARCH the YouTube video and go to the search bar.

-DELETE from the link the https://m. (Anything before youtube.com/whatever).

-CHANGE the youtube.com for youtuberepeat.com.

This will open the exact same video in YouTube repeat, where the video will play with no problem like it normally would've in YT. (It will be set on repeat, though, just so you keep it in mind!)

Hope this will help you for the time being!

Anyone else feel like posting, YET, another his/her solution to this issue to just pile onto the already growing list of "possible" fixes/solutions?...

Anyone?... Anyone?...

Bueller?...Bueller.?..Frye?...Frye?...

I found the easiest solution around it (and probably the most efficient one, given that switching to other browsers or visiting websites that "purify" Youtube videos doesn't work for me). Furthermore, this solution does not need any additional apps, but simply... signing out of Youtube.

The solution is as simple as this:

-Access Youtube on Safari.

- Switch to Desktop mode*

*(click on 3 little dots on top-right side of screen-> option "Desktop").

-SIGN OUT** of Youtube

**(top right corner, little round icon -> option "Sign out").

- Reload Youtube, you are now a guest.

- Search for video you wish to watch. Press play, then pause, go inside another app via double click.

- Bring up Control Panel, click on Play***

***(swish to right page of Control Panel to find Video/Music Player)

And BOOM, it works!!! Youtube plays on background, Youtube plays if one locks the screen.

Hope this helps.

I assume it may also work with Youtube App, but couldn't be bothered to check. It should though, as it seems that background play is limited by YouTube for people who made the "mistake" of signing in...

_____

Tested on iOS version 10.3.1

Okay, I tried this and it worked. But one problem. If I leave the window open too long then it stops working and goes back to the annoying no background play all over again.

I actually had to switch from desktop to mobile mode for a couple of days and then switch back to get it working again.

I think this is a temporary bypass to the no background play thing, and it can stop working if one leaves it up for too long.

This posting is getting ridiculous and bordering on the asinine!

No one here has any good solid solution to this issue.

Google is making sure that users cannot use YouTube background playing consistently w/o a myriad of seemingly temporary workarounds.

I give up already.

If you use the Dolphin web Broswer, you can play videos in the background. Don't worry, it's a free app. I can confirm it does background play just fine. I also think Google knows about Dolphin but they won't touch it because of the user agent of the browser, and you can't make OAuth connections to Google from it.

TL,DR: Background play still works in Dolphin Broswer.

Hi I've been having the same problem and just found the solution for chrome and safari. Request desktop site..

For chrome - tap three dots in the top right > request desktop site.

For safari - press and hold on the reload page icon in the url bar at the top > select request desktop site.

Hope this helps, I'm running iOS 10.1

To bypass that problem in desktop version, when the background play stops (this time YouTube safari froze and background play stopped so I had to relaunch the app), sign in. Switch from desktop to mobile mode continuously. Do this for 4-6 times, maybe more. Then, switch to desktop version, log out, and play a video to test for background play and it should work.

Who knows? Maybe they'll find out and eliminate this solution too.

Aaargh !!! this is driving me and my kids crazy. Apple please fix this issue asap. We all use the YouTube app and this is driving us all nuts. It's so inconsiderate of u to allow this to happen and to force your customers to put up with this issue. Its archaic. We run 5 apple products a day in our household and I'd change them all to android if it meant not having to endure this issue anymore. I'd like a reply from apple to this comment to know you are paying attention to your customers con

I have i phone 6s with iOS 10.3.2,I'm having problem too but not only with with YouTube safari but other apps music like Tubify. At soon I get out of the apps the music slowly go off and when I want to play while on lock screen it's goes immediately. The only way to enjoy my music is that I have to be on the apps while my phone is on.

Need help?

Firefox worked for me. I went to YouTube in Firefox, picked a video. At the bottom of the browser where u can select "request desktop view" click that. Hit play on the video, hit the home button. Then open control center and press play. If the video URL isn't showing when you open the control panel the first time, go back to the video in Firefox, make sure it's playing before you hit home again and open the control center. You should see the URL in the control center and be able to press play for background play

Apple had best fix this soon. I've already lost the ability to charge my phone and listen to audio simultaneously, If I can't play videos in the background in 3 months I will switch to Android. I'm not just one user, I'm their average user with an average tolerance and loyalty towards Apple.

Did you bother to read this thread AT ALL?

YouTube is a Google property. GOOGLE is insisting you subscribe to their premium service in order to get background playback.

This has NOTHING to do with Apple..

A) the Apple recommended answer is the epitome of how they have gone sideways

B) kudos to MichelPM for their first post, I found it hope inspiring

C) iPad Air, iOS 10.3.2 is what I'm running; background playing worked, then stopped, finally took time to investigate solutions, I read all 14 pages in detail and after trying all but everyone of the posted suggestions, the only one which worked for me (and is currently playing music while I compose this reply) was:

- load a different browser and use it (I'm using Dolphin, fwiw)

To be clear:

I'm dissatisfied that some entity made some change such that Safari just stopped playing YouTube audio in the background of my iPad. If it was collaboration of multiple entities, I hope they all go belly up.

And while I'm pleased that I've found a way to have work before work smoothly again, it is irksome that I had to spend anytime at all on this. See that belly up comment above.

may you never experience this issue, and if you do may you more quickly find a solution which works for you