Xiaomi Removes Feature That Let Users Run YouTube Videos in the Background for Free: Here's Why

Several Xiaomi smartphones running on HyperOS and MIUI are impacted by this move.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 12 March 2024 19:19 IST

Xiaomi Removes Feature That Let Users Run YouTube Videos in the Background for Free: Here's Why

Photo Credit: Xiaomi

Xiaomi 14 (pictured) was launched in India on March 7

Highlights

YouTube Premium users can play videos in the background
Xiaomi introduced background video playback support with MIUI 12
The feature will soon be disabled on several Xiaomi phones

Xiaomi has announced that it is removing a popular feature which allowed users to run YouTube videos in the background. YouTube Premium users, who pay for ad-free streaming, can play YouTube videos over other applications in a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode or just the audio in the background without the video. However, this Xiaomi feature allowed users to gain the same functionality for free. This move comes at a time when YouTube is cracking down on several third-party apps and features which presumably affect their paying user count.

The firm announced via a Telegram channel post that it will remove the Play video sound with screen off feature in the Video toolbox and the Turn-off screen feature in the Game toolbox via over-the-air updates. Although Xiaomi does not specify what compelled it to remove these popular features, the post states that the move is "due to compliance requirements."

Notably, the action comes months after YouTube has been trying to push more people towards subscribing to YouTube Premium. It has tried to curb the use of ad blockers by slowing down video playback speed for users with ad blockers and making skipping ads significantly harder.

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Xiaomi confirmed that this decision will affect all smartphones running MIUI 12, MIUI 13, MIUI 14, and the newly released HyperOS, including Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Xiaomi 12T. Notably, Xiaomi introduced the feature to support video playback without the screen being active with its MIUI 12 update in 2021.

A recent report claimed that YouTube may be rolling out PiP mode for non-Premium users outside the US. But the company has not confirmed any such moves. Paying YouTube Premium subscribers using the Xiaomi models affected by the native feature removal, should still be able to use YouTube videos on PiP or background player mode.

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Xiaomi 14

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Compact form factor and aesthetics
Excellent camera setup
Top-notch performance
Excellent display

Bad
Bloatware apps
Selfie camera is inconsistent in low-light

Read detailed Xiaomi 14 review

Display 6.36-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 512GB

Battery Capacity 4610mAh

OS Android

Resolution 1200x2670 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

Xiaomi 13

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.36-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 10-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4500mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

Xiaomi 13 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent build quality
Versatile camera setup with impressive features
Top-notch display
Powerful performance
Good battery life, 120W fast charging
Smooth software experience

Bad
On the heavier side
No official IP rating in India
Software support not as competitive as rivals

Read detailed Xiaomi 13 Pro review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 4820mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 3200x1440 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

Xiaomi 12T

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.67-inch

Processor MediaTek Dimensity 8100 5G

Front Camera 20-megapixel

Rear Camera 108-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 12

Resolution 1220x2712 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Xiaomi, Xiaomi HyperOS, MIUI, Xiaomi 14, YouTube, YouTube Premium, Google

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More