YouTube Premium arrived in Kenya late last year, finally allowing Kenyans to enjoy background video playback on their phones. Prior to this, those with devices from the likes of Oppo and Xiaomi had built-in tools that allowed them to enjoy background playback without the need for a premium YouTube account, which wasn’t available locally at the time. Now, following a similar move by Oppo in January, Xiaomi is removing an in-built feature that allowed users to listen to YouTube videos in the background with the screen off, effectively bypassing the need for a premium subscription.
This functionality, dubbed “Play video sound with screen off,” was previously hidden within the video toolbox on Xiaomi phones. However, citing compliance reasons, Xiaomi has announced the removal of this feature through upcoming OTA (over-the-air) updates to the system security app.
The specific update versions removing the feature will vary depending on the device model and operating system. For Xiaomi 14 devices running HyperOS, the security app update version 8.6.4 will be responsible for the feature’s removal. Other HyperOS models will see the feature disappear with the update to version 8.7.2 of the security app.
Similarly, MIUI 14 users can expect the feature to be removed with different update versions depending on the specific device model. Xiaomi 13, 13 Pro, and 12T models will see the functionality disappear with security app update version 8.2.5, while other MIUI 14 models will require the update to version 8.2.6. For devices running MIUI 13 and MIUI 12, the security app update version 8.7.4 will be responsible for removing the “Play video sound with screen off” option from the video toolbox.
This move by Xiaomi comes after Oppo faced pressure to comply with undisclosed regulations, forcing them to remove a similar background playback feature for YouTube on their devices earlier this year. The specific reasons behind Xiaomi’s decision to follow suit remain unclear, but it suggests potential compliance pressure from YouTube (Google) rather than a desire to maintain consistency with other Android manufacturers.
Additionally, Xiaomi has announced the removal of the “Turn off screen” function within the game toolbox across HyperOS, MIUI 14, MIUI 13, and MIUI 12 devices. These changes will also be implemented through upcoming the system’s Security app updates. So, should you find that these features cannot be activated, be aware that it’s not a bug.
While the reasons behind these specific feature removals remain opaque, they mark a shift in functionality for Xiaomi users who previously utilized this workaround to listen to YouTube videos and other content in the background or when the screen is turned off without needing a premium subscription.
