YouTube Limits Background Play on Third-Party Browsers

Reports are mounting that YouTube’s background play has stopped working on several third-party Android browsers, including Samsung Internet, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge. The behavior looks targeted rather than a glitch, and it could be another move to funnel listeners toward YouTube Premium or the official app.

What users are seeing when background play stops working

Users say audio cuts off the moment they minimize the browser or lock the screen, breaking a popular workaround that let videos keep playing like podcasts. In some cases, a fleeting “MediaOngoingActivity” notification appears before media controls vanish entirely, suggesting the session is being terminated at the system level.

While complaints are most common from Samsung Internet users, similar issues are reported on Vivaldi and Edge. A few users claim Brave briefly restored background audio after an update, which points to ongoing server-side testing or rapid countermeasures on both sides.

Browsers affected and how widespread the issue is

The problem appears concentrated on non-Chromium-default browsers that historically enabled background audio with screen-off or when switching apps. Samsung Internet—preloaded on millions of Galaxy phones—has been a common alternative to Chrome. StatCounter data puts Samsung Internet at around 5% global mobile browser share, while Edge and Brave are smaller and Vivaldi is niche.

Premium subscribers using the official YouTube app should still have background play, and Chrome typically adheres to YouTube’s default policies. The inconsistency across third-party apps suggests YouTube may be tightening enforcement where it believes features are being accessed outside intended tiers.

Why YouTube might be limiting background play now

Background play is a marquee perk of YouTube Premium, alongside ad-free viewing and downloads. YouTube has repeatedly acted to curb free access to paid features, most visibly in a large-scale ad-blocker crackdown that caused widespread error reports last year. The company has also leaned more on subscription revenue—YouTube announced over 100 million combined Music and Premium subscribers globally—so protecting Premium value is strategic.

Technically, YouTube could detect the browser and adjust playback policies via user-agent checks, A/B flags, and the Media Session API. On Android, cutting a background session can revoke audio focus as soon as the page is no longer visible, which matches reports of the media notification flashing and disappearing. If this is policy-driven, it’s likely a server-side change rather than a bug in any single browser.

Is this a staged rollout or a regression-causing bug?

The sporadic nature of the reports hints at a staged rollout or experiments limited by region, account type, or app version. Community trackers such as PiunikaWeb have compiled user complaints pointing to a shift in how background audio is permitted. Similar trials in the past have moved from tests to platform-wide policies once metrics support the change.

Google has not publicly addressed the behavior. If it is a deliberate policy update, documentation or help pages may be revised later to clarify that background audio in browsers is limited to Premium or the official app.

What you can do right now to restore background play

• If you’re a Premium member, try the official YouTube app or ensure you’re signed in on the browser where playback fails.
• Test picture-in-picture; some users report PiP still works even when pure background audio does not.
• Update your browser and clear site settings for YouTube, then retest with desktop mode toggled on and off.
• Check battery optimization settings for the browser; aggressive power saving can kill media sessions.
• Be aware that bypassing paywalled features may violate terms of service and could stop working without notice.

The bigger picture for YouTube, browsers, and Premium

YouTube’s balancing act is clear: preserve a free, ad-supported experience while reserving premium features for paying members. Tightening background play on third-party browsers aligns with that strategy, especially as subscription businesses become more important to platforms and creators. If history is a guide, any temporary loopholes may close as enforcement matures.

For now, users on Samsung Internet, Vivaldi, Edge, and other alternatives should expect inconsistent results. Whether this settles into a permanent restriction or gets dialed back will likely depend on user feedback, support load, and how many people convert to Premium versus abandon the platform’s browser experience.