YouTube has started blocking background playback on third-party mobile browsers, but Brave is not backing down.
After Google began enforcing YouTube’s Premium-only rule more strictly, Brave released a browser update aimed at keeping background playback working for its users.
YouTube has always said that background playback is meant only for Premium subscribers using its official mobile apps. For a long time, users could still listen to videos in the background through mobile browsers, which made YouTube useful for music, podcasts, and long talks without paying. That option is now being restricted across most browsers.
According to Google, the change is meant to make YouTube’s experience consistent across platforms. Once the update rolled out, videos began stopping as soon as users locked their screens or switched apps. Reports came in from users of Samsung Internet, Edge, Vivaldi, and others.
Brave reacted quickly. The company has pushed an update designed to bypass YouTube’s latest block and restore background playback on mobile. This move fits Brave’s long-standing position of defending user choice and pushing back against restrictions it sees as unfair or overly aggressive.
Brave’s solution is not officially supported by YouTube, and there is no guarantee it will continue working. YouTube has a history of closing loopholes when browsers find ways around its limits. Still, Brave’s update shows that some browser makers are willing to challenge platform controls rather than quietly accept them.
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