Playing YouTube
videos with the screen off is tricky business. As soon as your screen
switches off, YouTube automatically pauses what you are watching, so you can't
just listen to videos while getting on with other things. There's
no setting to solve this in the default YouTube app, but there
are ways to play YouTube videos with the screen off.
Mozilla Firefox
This method involves using the free Mozilla Firefox browser app and it should work on all devices. Firstly, download and install the Mozilla Firefox browser on your phone. Next, go to the YouTube website within the browser, tap the settings (three dots) button at the top right of the page and tick request desktop site. Once you have completed the steps above, tap on a video to play it, and it will continue to play even after you lock your phone.
Mozilla Firefox
This method involves using the free Mozilla Firefox browser app and it should work on all devices. Firstly, download and install the Mozilla Firefox browser on your phone. Next, go to the YouTube website within the browser, tap the settings (three dots) button at the top right of the page and tick request desktop site. Once you have completed the steps above, tap on a video to play it, and it will continue to play even after you lock your phone.
Sony Xperia Small
Apps
This trick only
works for Sony Xperia devices. It makes use of the Xperia range's Small
Apps feature.
Download Media
Viewer Small from the Play Store and install it. Next, access Small Apps
by tapping on your recent apps button (the square at the bottom right of
your screen) and then tapping the upward arrow at the bottom left.
From here you can access the Web Videos app.
Tap on
the Web Videos app and a new window will pop up, allowing you to
search for videos and play them even when the screen is
off. The app has its limitations, and you can’t access all the regular features
of YouTube, but that may be a small price to pay for being able to play a
video while your phone is locked.
