How to Play YouTube Music in the Background

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play YouTube music in the background

How to Play YouTube Music in the Background

Play any YouTube music video in the background on your iPad or iPhone. You can listen to music and browse the web or play games at the same time.! Please like/comment if this was helpful, thanks!

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Step 1 of 3
Touch the YouTube app on your iPad/iPhone and select a music video to play. {Note: This might work with other music apps as well}

Touch the YouTube app on your iPad/iPhone and select a music video to play. {Note: This might work with other music apps as well}

Step 2 of 3
Now, press the Home button. Note: this will close the YouTube app but don't worry.  Press the Home button twice (quickly) like you would to exit your apps.

Now, press the Home button. Note: this will close the YouTube app but don't worry. Press the Home button twice (quickly) like you would to exit your apps.

Step 3 of 3
Swipe to the right and you'll see your music controls and the name of the YouTube video playing in your playlist. Hit 'Play' and enjoy :)

Swipe to the right and you'll see your music controls and the name of the YouTube video playing in your playlist. Hit 'Play' and enjoy :)

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A Canadian desi who loves photography, graphic and logo designing, social networking/discussing social issues, techie gadgets and coffee! That's me.

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75 Comments
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Macy Castellano

When i swipe to the right on mu iPhone 5 , I don't get YouTube to be played As a background;( I get my own music player/ my music list !!

Macy Castellano yesterday

Cory King

What? The music controls just play a song from my playlist. YouTube closes and doesn't work

Cory King 4 days ago

Megan L

It did before the update :)

Megan L last week

Lavinia Bachan

What the hell people. It so doesn't work

Lavinia Bachan last week

Laura Mikkelsen

It doesn't work:-(

Laura Mikkelsen last month

Laura Mikkelsen

Thanks, I could before the upgrade:-)<3

Laura Mikkelsen last month

Kira Lou

It won't work with iOS 6 as apple don't give you the YouTube app, you have to download it separately and it won't work - used to do this all the time before tho!!

Kira Lou last month

La Wade

Yes does 😣not work 😁

La Wade last month

John Davila

Won't work on iPhone 5

John Davila last month

🌹Dulcie Thompson 🌹

This doesn't work for me, is that all you do? :-(

🌹Dulcie Thompson 🌹 3 months ago

Axelle Vankeirsbilck

I did this and it worked but I updated my iPod and no it doesn't anymore :(

Axelle Vankeirsbilck 4 months ago

Sophia S.

Thank you so much this was sooo helpful!😛

Sophia S. 4 months ago

Felix Redkov

Thank u so muuuch!! Works great!)

Felix Redkov 4 months ago

Techy Girl

@Alan Morley - It works with the app called YouPlay. I posted this awhile ago so I'm sure things have changed :) But you just have to try out various apps and see which ones it works with. Good luck!

(author) 4 months ago

Alan Morley

This was a good tip but now iPhone as updated to iso6 this now no longer works. Plus they also removed the YouTube app so now you need to redownload the app from the App Store.

Alan Morley 5 months ago

Jess Fleming

Thanks!!

Jess Fleming 5 months ago

Valerie B R

Thankss!!

Valerie B R 5 months ago

Melanie Dingman

I don't think this works with ios6 with the YouTube app.

Melanie Dingman 5 months ago

Adele Marchiando

Thats so cool! (listening to music right now!) 🎶🎵🎶✨🎵🎶🎵✨

Adele Marchiando 6 months ago

ℱaՏℌⅈöɳⅈ$ɬɑ🌹 !

Thank you that's really handy

ℱaՏℌⅈöɳⅈ$ɬɑ🌹 ! 7 months ago

Miss Apple

Yeah, it doesn't work on the new app.

Miss Apple 7 months ago

Brooke Adams

I got it I work on my boyfriends, I guess it's cause I don't have the original YouTube app

Brooke Adams 7 months ago

Brooke Adams

iPhone 4gs

Brooke Adams 7 months ago

Miss Apple

What device do you have, Brooke?

Miss Apple 8 months ago

Brooke Adams

Doesn't work on mine

Brooke Adams 8 months ago

Someshwar Bupelli

Thanks a lot ! Great tip !!

Someshwar Bupelli 10 months ago

S A

Just what I have been wanting to know! Thx

S A 11 months ago

Cerulean Apple

This works for iTunes as well! Thanks, Techy Girl!

Cerulean Apple 12 months ago

Nici💩💩 Rudd

How did u get that wallpaper.

Nici💩💩 Rudd 12 months ago

Stephanie Colorado

Loved it!!!! Thanks!

Stephanie Colorado last year

Michael Greez

Great. Thanks.

Michael Greez last year

Haley McDaniel

This worked on my iPod perfectly.^

Haley McDaniel last year

Hawie Bulcha

Not to be negative and all but this does not work on iPods

Hawie Bulcha last year

Taina Delgado

Awesome! You can also do this with pandora too.

Taina Delgado last year

Sarah Horvath

AWESOME!!

Sarah Horvath last year

Myra Mariboe

Great.tnx

Myra Mariboe last year

Robert K

Cool background! Where did u get it?

Robert K last year

Shivani Garg

Cool thank u soo much I've always wanted to do this

Shivani Garg last year

Techy Girl

@Samantha O'Brien I don't have iHome so I can't test it out. Will see if I can find out if there's a way to make it work

(author) last year

Techy Girl

@Gabriel Cuevas for most apps yes. There was one particular radio app that this didn't work with and I can't recall the name of it. But it works great for other apps.

(author) last year

Samantha O'Brien

Although it does not work if my phone is on my ihome... :/

Samantha O'Brien last year

Gabriel Cuevas

You can do this for like almost every app!!!

Gabriel Cuevas last year

Julieta Barroeta

This is amazing ! Thanks for the tip!

Julieta Barroeta last year

Samantha O'Brien

Wow, thank you! I never thought of that and always get so mad when my iPhone is in the dock and stops my music due to important texts!

Samantha O'Brien last year

Jason Locke

Aaaaaaamaaazing thanks

Jason Locke last year

Passant El-Bahnasawy

Thaaaaaaank u i needed it :)

Passant El-Bahnasawy last year

Anabel Alvarez

I love it. I really needed to know This tip. :)

Anabel Alvarez last year

Techy Girl

You're welcome everyone!

(author) last year

Haley McDaniel

You just saved my life :)

Haley McDaniel last year

Sarah K. Cheffy

Awesome! The seeming lack of multitask with YouTube always drove me nuts. Thanks!

Sarah K. Cheffy last year

Vlad A

Thanks

Vlad A last year

Melissa Kane

Glad I read this ! It was beginning to annoy me ! Haha

Melissa Kane last year

Emilie Ruthhh.

Thankyou!

Emilie Ruthhh. last year

Scott Tidmarsh

Snapguide @ its finest. Thanks.

Scott Tidmarsh last year

Kacee Fedler

Woah! Thanks!

Kacee Fedler last year

Vaibhav Kanwal

Cool Trick

Vaibhav Kanwal last year

Nicole Cleroux

Thanks

Nicole Cleroux last year

Samer Mansour

Nice trick 📺🔊

Samer Mansour last year

Karl Pokus

Great! Now I can play an audio book in the background while I browse the web.

Karl Pokus last year

Megan L

Amazing

Megan L last year

Barry Ward

Cool. :)

Barry Ward last year

Melven Tai

great, thx

Melven Tai last year

Kostas Georgioy

Very good.

Kostas Georgioy last year

Yareck Urbanski

Awesome thx.

Yareck Urbanski last year

Mala Bhargava

Works for any video. Nice

Mala Bhargava last year

Joshua Myers

Thanks... Did not know that... 😊

Joshua Myers last year

Juan Elias

Love this thanks!

Juan Elias last year

Tania Ferrante

Thanks so much I'm so happy we can do this ☻

Tania Ferrante last year

Techy Girl

You're welcome!

(author) last year

Raeda Nahari

Thanx alot

Raeda Nahari last year

Katelyn Carter

Thank sir

Katelyn Carter last year

Techy Girl

You're welcome everyone!! 😊

(author) last year

Paula Infante

Thank u so muuuuuuch!!!

Paula Infante last year

Frankie

i never knew how to do this! thanks so much!

Frankie last year

Sara Burgess

I always wanted to know how to do that! Thanks!!

Sara Burgess last year

Stas Ionov

What is wallpaper?

Stas Ionov 4 months ago

Be first to comment on Step 2.

Marian R

Jajaj thats only for is 5

Marian R last month

Anuj Lall

This does nt work with my iPhone 5 either.

Anuj Lall 2 months ago

Rob Garrett

Doesn't seem to work with You Tube music

Rob Garrett 3 months ago