There’s many differences between browsing the web from computer compared to using your Android mobile device. One of those differences comes when browsing the YouTube website. You can easily start up any video or song and switch tabs to look at something else via a computer and still have the at least the audio running in the background, ready to come back to in a minute when you switch back to the YouTube tab. However, from Android smartphones and tablets it’s a different story.

Up until late 2014 when Android Authority broke the news about Audio Playback being available to some All Access users, there was nothing available. And even since then, it isn’t available for an everyday user. While rooting your Android isn’t usually what an everyday user does either, it does at least offer a opportunity to install the Xposed module and have it running for free on your device so you can have the Background Playback for YouTube videos on your Android. Here’s how that’s done:

REQUIREMENTS:

Root your Android device before starting. We have guides out there for almost all devices from here.

HOW TO CREATE A BACKGROUND PLAYBACK OPTION FOR YOUR ANDROID DEVICE USING YOUTUBE MUSIC AND VIDEO

1. Download the Xposed installer from the official repo.

2. Check your app drawer and tap to open the app.

3. Tap the first option from the list of three that says “framework.”

4. Wait for it to say “Be careful” and read the warnings before tapping the ‘OK’ button.

5. Look under the “framework” tab and click the button that says ‘Install.’

6. Wait until it says ‘you’re done!’ and gives the option to reboot. Press the ‘OK’ button.

Now that you have the Xposed Framework fully installed it’s time to check our enabling the Playback option for YouTube.

1. Launch Xposed again and tap the ‘download’ option.

2. Tap the search box and type “YouTube Background Playback.”

3. Confirm you want to download that when the message shows on the display.

4. Next you will have the option to install the module. that’s different from Downloading, similar to accepting a software update.

5. Wait! You are not done. Navigate back to the main menu and tap the option that says’Modules.’

6. You should see the modules you have downloaded in here. tap to enable the YouTube module.

7. Now you can leave the Xposed app and reboot the device for the changes to have an effect.

8. Tap on the YouTube application from your usual list of apps on the device.