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Populus

macrumors 603
Original poster
Aug 24, 2012
6,220
8,700
Spain, Europe
Aside from paying the subscription to YouTube RED.

We all know this is an iOS feature hidden behind a paywall, so I’m not ashamed in asking this. Until now I have used several methods:

-Dolphin Browser, now it no longer exist (or was bought by the Chinese and re-released as a new app, but for security reasons I don’t trust them)

-Opera Mini, an excellent browser I used several years ago, when I wanted to save data. Sadly, Opera was sold to the Chinese as well, and eventually, Opera Mini was discontinued, disappearing from the App Store (data saving features no longer work)

-Ivory Video Player, a 3rd party YouTube player that used to allow background audio play, it still works, but since the last update makes the iPhone VERY hot, and I don’t want to use an app that could hurt my phone.

Until now I used Opera Mini, because despite it being discontinued, I still have it on my phone. But somehow, it is no longer possible to play audio in the background (I guess Google realized it and fixed it).

So now I ask you, when you’re not paying for YouTube RED, what do you do in order to have the audio of a YouTube video playing in the background on iOS13? Thank you.
 
or-
How can I stream Netflix for free?
How can I get apps for free?
How can I get an iPhone for free?
How can I download music for free?
How can I download movies for free?
How can I use Adobe software for free?


It's a slippery slope that never ends
 
Go to the youtube video in Safari
Request desktop website
Exit safari
Open the control center
Press play

I haven't tested if a playlist will keep playing after the first video though.
 

this should work in background, but searching for stuff can be a pain sometimes
 
I use iPad Pro pip for safari to achieve this, sort of, though I don’t exclusively listen to music on YouTube. The quality sucks either way due to heavy compression.
 
or-
How can I stream Netflix for free?
How can I get apps for free?
How can I get an iPhone for free?
How can I download music for free?
How can I download movies for free?
How can I use Adobe software for free?


It's a slippery slope that never ends

No it isn’t. Nothing of the sort. He wants to play it in the background, not steel something. He wants it to work like the built in music app...doing other stuff whilst still listening to audio. Nothing wrong with that.
 
or-
How can I stream Netflix for free?
How can I get apps for free?
How can I get an iPhone for free?
How can I download music for free?
How can I download movies for free?
How can I use Adobe software for free?


It's a slippery slope that never ends
Well, I already explained on my original post why I don’t see it that way:
We all know this is an iOS feature hidden behind a paywall, so I’m not ashamed in asking this.
***
I use iPad Pro pip for safari to achieve this, sort of, though I don’t exclusively listen to music on YouTube. The quality sucks either way due to heavy compression.
Yeah, I do exactly that on my iPad Pro, that’s why I wrote this on the iPhone sub forum, because I’m not sure this trick will work on my iPhone once I update to iOS13.

***

this should work in background, but searching for stuff can be a pain sometimes
I have downloaded this app (thank you), and for music can be good enough, but I listen to podcasts and other content (tech videos, history videos, etc) that are hard to find and sort through this app.

***
Go to the youtube video in Safari
Request desktop website
Exit safari
Open the control center
Press play

I haven't tested if a playlist will keep playing after the first video though.
This is the most interesting question: are you sure this works on iPhone and not only in iPad? Thank you
 
I’m not sure this trick will work on my iPhone once I update to iOS13.
Apart from trying it out yourself assuming you have an iPhone, my experience is sometimes it worked a few months ago, but only for YouTube on safari. You probably also need to remove YouTube app from iPhone beforehand. Since I use iPad Pro a whole lot these days I’m not too sure about iPhone side now.
 
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Apart from trying it out yourself assuming you have an iPhone, my experience is sometimes it worked a few months ago, but only for YouTube on safari. You probably also need to remove YouTube app from iPhone beforehand. Since I use iPad Pro a whole lot these days I’m not too sure about iPhone side now.
Yeah, I do have an iPhone, problem is I haven’t updated yet (I’m on iOS 12), I still use Opera Mini, and I saw this awesome app doesn’t exist anymore. It isn’t even possible to download it again. So, if I‘m going to update to iOS 13 anytime soon, I wanted to know this beforehand. And maybe help others with the same doubt.
Yeah it works on my phone.
Great! I asked because at least on iOS 12, if you try to load the desktop version in Safari, youtube doesn’t work. I’m glad it works on iOS 13
 
If you buy YouTube premium - you get YouTube music and YouTube with no ads and all these features - I use it, find it better than Apple Music or something
 
Go to the youtube video in Safari
Request desktop website
Exit safari
Open the control center
Press play

I haven't tested if a playlist will keep playing after the first video though.

how do you request desktop site? Used to be hold the reload button and it would pop up but that doesnt work anymore?
 
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