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This mobile browser just brought back free YouTube background playback
- Microsoft has found a workaround to restore YouTube background play for non-Premium subscribers.
- The solution is available on the company’s experimental browser, Edge Canary.
- Microsoft has also added audio indicators to tab cards and an option to mute/unmute sites.
In its attempt to get more users to sign up for a subscription, YouTube has been increasingly aggressive in shutting down workarounds to access Premium features. For example, third-party browsers lost their ability to play YouTube videos in the background earlier this year. This was not a coincidence, as a Google spokesperson confirmed to Android Authority that YouTube had been updated to prevent non-Premium users from accessing the feature. But it looks like at least one of those third-party browsers has now found a solution.
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Ever since the block was put in place, it seems Microsoft has been hard at work trying to find a workaround. Spotted by leaker Leopeva64, the company appears to have restored YouTube background play on its experimental Edge Canary mobile browser. In their social post, the leaker shows a YouTube video continuing to play despite switching to other tabs or navigating back to the home screen.
Google recently removed the option to play YouTube videos in the background on third-party mobile browsers (they say this is a feature intended only for Premium users). Well, Microsoft has found a workaround and this option is working again in Edge Canary:https://t.co/E0HPhAdtsB pic.twitter.com/HSFhuHf3oR— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) April 16, 2026
Something else that should be pointed out is that Microsoft has added audio indicators to the tab card, so you can tell which tab the audio is playing from. This is viewable from the tab switcher. It also appears that there is an option to mute or unmute a website from the tab context menu.
Why do you refuse to pay for YouTube Premium?
YouTube background play first made its way to the Edge Canary browser late last year. This was also spotted by Leopeva64 after enabling a flag in the mobile app. The return of the feature comes just in time after YouTube recently hiked Premium prices across the board.
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