No More Free Background YouTube Playback on Xiaomi Phones: Here's Why

Xiaomi has announced a significant change for its smartphone users, which will impact how they use YouTube on their devices. Through a message shared on the Mi Fans Home Telegram channel, Xiaomi confirmed that it would remove a popular feature enabling users to play YouTube videos in the background without any charge.

Understanding the Change

The feature being removed is known as "Play video sound with screen off" found in the Video toolbox and the "Turn-off screen" feature in the Game toolbox. This adjustment will be implemented through an OTA (over-the-air) software update. Xiaomi has clarified that if users notice this feature is no longer working, it is not a malfunction but a deliberate modification by the company.

Reason Behind the Move

The decision to remove this feature comes from a need to comply with certain requirements. The ability to play YouTube videos in the background is a benefit reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers. However, various third-party tools and software features have allowed users to bypass this requirement, leading to actions from Google to shut down such workarounds.

Given Xiaomi’s statement regarding compliance, it is implied that Google is the driving force behind this change. This move aligns with Google's strategy to increase the number of YouTube Premium subscribers by limiting free access to features.

The video giant has also implemented measures to deter users from skipping ads and has slowed down video playback for those using ad blockers. These actions are part of YouTube and Google's strategy to encourage users to subscribe to the Premium service.

Affected Devices

Xiaomi has specified that this change will affect devices running MIUI versions 12, 13, 14, and the recently introduced HyperOS. This includes the latest flagship models such as the Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Xiaomi 12T.

As this change rolls out, Xiaomi users who have enjoyed this feature will need to look for alternative methods or consider subscribing to YouTube Premium for uninterrupted background playback.

Via