YouTube TV is finally getting background playback on Android and iOS devices

YouTube TV is finally introducing a feature that was only available on YouTube Premium – background playback. It looks like the ability to listen in the background will be added to the YouTube TV app for Android and iOS.

Background playback was one of the most loved features on YouTube. It allows users to lock their phone or tablet or leave the app and continue listening to the video they are watching. For some time, this feature has been locked to YouTube’s Premium subscription, so free users can no longer use this simple feature.

Considering YouTube TV has always been a paid service, you’d think background playback would have made its way to the app by now.

YouTube TV for Android and iOS has added a background playback feature, according to multiple reports from Reddit users. In the current version of YouTube TV for Android and iOS, users should be able to leave the app or lock their devices and continue listening to a previously playing channel.

We successfully tested this feature on Android, although the iOS devices we tested have not yet demonstrated background playback in practice. If the reports regarding Apple devices are true, the feature should be rolled out soon.

From the comments on the posts, it appears that the feature has been slowly rolled out over the past week. More and more users are starting to see background playback available, and some still don’t see it. It appears to be a gradual rollout that is gaining momentum, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it available to everyone in the next few weeks.

Is background play enabled in the YouTube TV app? Let us know in the comments!

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