what you need to know
- Xiaomi is removing a popular feature that allowed users to play YouTube videos in the background without paying for a subscription.
- The decision affects devices running HyperOS, MIUI 14, MIUI 13, and MIUI 12, and affects models such as the Mi 14, 13, 13 Pro, and 12T.
- Xiaomi attributed the removal to “compliance requirements,” suggesting Google may be involved in calling for the feature to be removed.
Xiaomi has removed a much-loved trick that allowed you to play YouTube videos in the background without paying for a premium subscription.
Xiaomi announced on its Mi Fans Telegram channel that it will drop a feature that lets devices with MIUI and HyperOS play YouTube audio when the screen is off, Android Authority reported.
This change will not spare any Xiaomi device running HyperOS, MIUI 14, MIUI 13 or MIUI 12. This means that Xiaomi 14, 13, 13 Pro and 12T, etc. will be affected by this move.
Xiaomi cited “compliance requirements” as the reason for removing the feature. The Chinese phone maker declined to reveal more details, but Google may be involved in asking Xiaomi to drop the feature.
We have reached out to Xiaomi for a statement, but the company could not immediately be reached for comment. We will update this article once we receive a response.
From the beginning, one of the main advantages of YouTube Premium has been the ability to play videos in the background even when the screen is off. If you don’t pay $14 per month, the regular app doesn’t let you enjoy this feature.
However, if you have a Xiaomi phone, you can pull off this trick without splurging on YouTube Premium. The Chinese tech giant has a built-in way on its smartphones that lets you listen to YouTube in the background.
The company named it “Play video sound when screen is turned off” in the video toolbox. In the Game Toolbox feature, it’s called “Turn off screen” and debuted in MIUI 12.
Then again, YouTube Premium is a cash cow for the search giant, and Xiaomi’s offering of a paid perks solution might not be popular with Google.
Now that the Chinese tech giant has removed this very popular feature, users keen on playing YouTube in the background will need to bite the bullet and buy YouTube Premium.