YouTube TV Is Letting You Listen to TV Even When Your Phone Screen is Locked
YouTube TV Is Letting You Listen to TV Even When Your Phone Screen is Locked
Background audio playback is reportedly rolling out for some YouTube TV customers now.
As the largest live TV streaming service on the market, YouTube TV is always trying to stay one step ahead in customer satisfaction to make sure that it doesn’t lose its lead over the competition. The streamer was recently given the highest satisfaction marks of any linear cable or live streaming provider in a J.D. Power survey, and it’s adding another new feature that should help boost those scores even higher: background audio playback. A report from 9to5 Google indicates that many YouTube TV customers have noted the ability to listen to their last-played channel even if they’ve locked their phone screen.
Key Details:
- Background playback has launched for YouTube TV customers on Android and iOS devices.
- The feature was previously only available for YouTube Premium subscribers.
- The rollout has been gradual, so customers who don’t have background playback yet could still soon get it.
The report from 9to5 Google indicates that the ability to listen to the last-played channel after locking phone screens is rolling out despite the lack of a wide announcement from YouTube. Indeed, The Verge spoke to a YouTube TV representative who confirmed that background audio is rolling out as an “experiment,” and is not an official feature of the service yet.
The background audio function is currently available on select Android and iOS devices. Previously, only customers of the paid subscription service YouTube Premium were allowed to use the feature, and its rollout on YouTube TV continues the policy of only making it available to subscribers of a paid YouTube platform.
The launch of the background audio feature has been gradual, with some YouTube TV customers reporting the ability while others have indicated online that it hasn’t yet come to their phone. So, if you are a YouTube TV subscriber, keep checking to see if your mobile device gains the background audio function soon.
YouTube TV is well-known for tinkering with features to keep its interface as fresh as possible. Before the start of football season, the service finally rolled out a fully customizable multiview function for NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing viewers to pick which four games they watch at once for the first time. However, there are still significant limitations.
The background audio function could still disappear for YouTube TV customers who currently have it, since it’s in a testing phase. It also may not make it to all customers, but keep an eye on your phone to see if you get the new feature with your YouTube TV subscription soon.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.