YouTube TV may soon support background playback, allowing you to continue listening to your shows even when you’re unable to watch. Google has confirmed that it is “experimenting” with enabling playback after a phone is locked, a feature long requested by users of the streaming service.
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According to a report by 9to5Google, Reddit users first noticed this functionality a few weeks ago. They found that they could keep listening to YouTube TV audio even after minimizing the video app or locking their mobile devices. This would allow users to follow the audio of their content while multitasking, such as driving or doing other tasks that don’t require watching the screen.
Background playback lets you continue to hear the audio from your shows even when your phone’s screen is off or locked. This is especially useful in scenarios like following live sports while on the go, when you can’t watch but still want to hear the action.
Although YouTube Premium subscribers have access to background playback, which also removes ads from videos, this feature has not yet been available on YouTube TV, Google’s live TV service, which starts at $72.99 a month. Currently, when users exit the YouTube TV app, the video pauses, and the audio stops.
Allison Toh, product communications manager at YouTube, confirmed that the company is indeed testing this feature for YouTube TV. “I can confirm that we are running an experiment that enables YouTube TV playback to continue after the phone screen is locked for Android and iOS mobile users,” she said.
If you lock your phone while watching on the YouTube TV app, playback will continue. However, if users prefer not to have background playback, they can pause the video before locking their phone.
This feature is still in the experimental phase and is only available to a select group of users. There is no word yet on when, or if, it will be rolled out more broadly.
