How do I play YouTube audio off my phone?

Many people want to listen to YouTube audio without watching the video or with the screen off in order to save battery life. YouTube’s massive library of music, podcasts, guided meditations, and more makes it an ideal app for audio-only listening. However, the YouTube app doesn’t make it obvious how to play just the audio. Fortunately, with a few tweaks to settings or by using different apps, you can listen to YouTube audio only on both Android and iOS devices.

Enable Background Audio

The easiest way to play YouTube audio in the background on your phone is to enable the “Background audio playback” setting in the YouTube app. This will allow audio to continue playing even when you minimize the app or switch to another app on your phone.

To enable background audio playback on Android, open the YouTube app and go to Settings > Background & downloads. Turn on the toggle next to “Background audio playback.”

On iOS, open Settings > YouTube and toggle on “Background Audio.”

With background audio enabled, you can start playing any YouTube video in the app. Then when you press the Home button or switch to another app, the audio will keep playing. This allows you to listen to YouTube music or videos just like a streaming music app.

One limitation is that background audio playback only works on the mobile YouTube app, not in a mobile web browser. But enabling this setting is the simplest way to play YouTube audio in the background on both Android and iOS devices.

Use a Pop Out Player

One easy way to play YouTube audio on your phone in the background is to use the mini player feature. When watching a YouTube video, simply tap the mini player icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will pop out a small floating player window over top of whatever else you are doing on your phone [1].

With the mini player open, you can continue browsing YouTube or other apps while the audio from your YouTube video plays in the background. This allows you to listen to songs, playlists, albums, podcasts, and more on YouTube while simultaneously using other apps on your phone. The mini player makes it easy to multitask without missing any of the audio content.

Try Picture-in-Picture

One way to play YouTube audio in the background on your iPhone is to use the picture-in-picture feature. To do this, start playing a YouTube video and then exit the app or press the home button. This will trigger picture-in-picture mode, which opens a floating window that continues playing the audio and video (Source). You can then navigate to other apps while the YouTube video remains open in the small floating window.

The audio will continue playing even if you lock your phone or switch to another app. The video window can be dragged around the screen or resized as needed. Picture-in-picture allows you to multitask while still listening to YouTube audio playback. Just note that closing the mini video window will stop the audio.

Use Split Screen

One way to play YouTube audio in the background on your phone is by using split screen multitasking. This allows you to have YouTube open in one window while using other apps in a separate window.

To enable split screen:

1. Open the recent apps menu on your Android phone. This is usually done by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
2. In the recent apps menu, locate the YouTube app and tap on the app icon at the top. Select “Split screen”.
3. Then select the second app you want to have open from the recent apps. This will open YouTube and the other app side-by-side.

With this, the YouTube video will continue playing in its window while you can use the other app. This allows you to listen to YouTube audio while browsing other apps, messaging friends, and more.

Just note that not all apps support split screen, so you may need to test different app combinations to find ones that work smoothly together.

Try a 3rd Party App

If you want a dedicated app for streaming only the audio from YouTube videos, an alternative is to try a third party YouTube app. Apps like NewPipe, Tubie, or SnapTube allow streaming YouTube audio in the background or with the screen off, unlike the official YouTube app. These apps are not available on the Play Store, but can be downloaded from their official websites.

Third party apps like these are designed solely for audio playback, so they provide a streamlined interface without recommendations or ads. They may also have features like downloading audio for offline listening. The downside is that unofficial apps violate YouTube’s terms of service, and may potentially be insecure or unstable compared to the official app.

Use a Browser

One simple way to play YouTube audio in the background on your phone is to use a mobile browser like Chrome and request the desktop site. Here’s how:

1. Open the YouTube website in your phone’s Chrome app.
2. Tap the 3-dot menu in the top right and select “Desktop site.”
3. Search for a video or song and start playing it.
4. While the video is playing, minimize Chrome so that it’s just an audio player in the background.
5. The audio will continue playing even with Chrome in the background or your phone locked.

This tricks YouTube into thinking you’re on a desktop computer instead of mobile, so background audio playback is enabled. The only catch is you need to keep the Chrome tab open. But it’s an easy free way to get background audio on your phone.

[1] “How to Play YouTube in the Background on Your Phone.” Lifewire, 9 Oct. 2022, https://www.lifewire.com/play-youtube-in-the-background-on-phone-4176945.

Cast to a Speaker

One way to play YouTube audio from your phone is to connect to a Bluetooth speaker or smart display and cast the audio to keep playing while using your phone. You can pair your phone with a wireless Bluetooth speaker, then use the YouTube app’s cast feature to stream only the audio to the speaker. This allows you to keep using your phone normally while the music or video audio continues playing from the external speaker.

Smart displays like the Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Show work similarly. Pair your phone with the display over WiFi, then use the YouTube app to cast. The video will play on the smart display while only the audio streams to your phone’s speaker. This frees you up to use other apps on your phone without interrupting the YouTube audio.

The process will vary slightly depending on your phone model and the device you’re casting to. Refer to the device instructions for specifics on pairing and casting. With the right devices, casting YouTube audio is an easy way to keep listening while multitasking on your phone.

Use YouTube Music

The YouTube Music app is specifically designed for streaming music and provides additional functionality beyond the regular YouTube app. With YouTube Music, you can listen to audio in the background and even download songs and playlists for offline playback when you don’t have an internet connection.

This makes YouTube Music a convenient option if you want to be able to multitask or continue listening to music videos and songs when you don’t have connectivity. The app has a dedicated music player and interface optimized for music discovery and management.

So if you want a more robust music experience beyond the standard YouTube app, downloading and using YouTube Music can allow you to play YouTube audio in the background or offline, similar to other streaming music apps.

Conclusion

There are several methods for listening to YouTube audio on your phone, depending on your needs and preferences. Enabling background audio lets you listen while using other apps. The pop out player gives you a small window to play audio over your homescreen. Picture-in-picture shrinks the video down to a corner while doing other tasks. Using split screen allows you to multitask with ease. Third party apps like YouTube Vanced offer additional functionality. Casting to a speaker is great for listening without headphones. YouTube Music gives you a full music streaming experience. Ultimately, choose the method that best suits your situation.