How to play YouTube videos in the background in the Brave browser (Android and iOS)

Which browser can play YouTube in the background? Use the Brave browser and learn how to set the browser to play media in the background.

When you go to another app or turn off the screen, YouTube stops playing in the browser. Here are some tips to keep those videos playing in the background. The Brave browser on Android and iOS can play YouTube in the background, with the exception that on Android it plays only audio.

How to play YouTube videos in the background on Android

Brave browser supports only audio media playing in the background. You need to activate this option, and here are the steps for the Brave browser on Android.

1. Go to the 3-dot menu (kebab) at the top right side.
2. Then go to Settings, then Media.
3. Find the option Background play and activate it.

The options and their location may change at any time in the future. This is valid for the version Brave browser on Android 1.67.123, Chromium 126.0.6478.126.

Observed issues

• Embedded YouTube videos in the <iframe> elements do not play in the background.

• Brave browser may sometimes stop playing media in the background due to phone OS updates. If this happens, try:

  • Restarting your mobile phone to see if that resolves the issue.
  • Turn off Background play, restart browser, then turn on Background play.

  In our case, both options resolved the issue.

How to play YouTube videos in the background on iOS

To play a YouTube video in the background on Brave for iOS, follow these steps:

• Start playing the video.
• Activate full-screen mode.
• Swipe up from the bottom of the edge screen to return to your home screen, allowing the video to continue playing in the background.

Previously, there was no need to set anything, as YouTube media were played in the background by default on iOS. Verified on iOS 16.3 (20D47) and Brave version 1.56 (23.8.4.21) with BraveCore 1.56.13 (115.0.5790.136).

The iOS version of Brave lets you make a custom playlist of music, podcasts, YouTube videos, and more. Playback anytime, anywhere. Even offline.