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# How to turn off background play on YouTube
- URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-turn-off-background-play-on-youtube/
- Published: 2025-04-17T10:12:42.000Z
- Updated: 2025-04-17T10:12:42.000Z
- Description: If you recently switched to YouTube Premium and awkwardly discovered background play, here's how to turn it off.
- Author: Louis Eriakha
- Tags: / Tech Guide, YouTube

Ever had a [YouTube](https://www.techloy.com/tag/youtube/) video keep playing after you leave the app or lock your phone? That’s background play in action. While it can be useful, it’s not always what you want. Honestly, it can catch you off guard, like when you're trying to quickly close the app, but the video keeps playing, and you start wondering if your phone is glitching.

Whether you're trying to save battery, avoid distractions, or just stop the audio from following you around, here’s how to turn it off in a few quick steps.

## How to turn off background play on YouTube

### Step 1: Open up the app, tap your profile icon at the bottom right 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/WhatsApp-Image-2025-04-11-at-11.02.30_efd7c52f-1.jpg)

### Step 2: Tap on the settings icon at the top right.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-2-1.jpg)

### Step 4: Scroll down to "Backgrounds and downloads"

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-3-1-1.jpg)

### Step 5: Select "Playback". It should be right under "**Background Play**"

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-4-1.jpg)

### Step 6: To turn off background play, select the 'off' option. Alternatively, you could set it to only turn on background play whenever you have headphones or speakers plugged in by selecting 'Headphones or external speakers'

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-5-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-6-1.jpg)

### Step 7: If you did everything right, the option you chose should display under the 'Playback' button from earlier.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2025/04/step-7-1.jpg)

## Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve successfully turned off background play on YouTube. No more videos continuing in the background, wasting your battery and data, just pure serenity.

[How to Download YouTube Videos to Your Phone and LaptopEasily download YouTube videos to your local device for offline use.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1457.png)TechloyOyinebiladou Omemu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1666890665956-ff34ea13c2cf-1)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-download-youtube-videos-to-your-phone-and-laptop/)