{"id":923620,"date":"2026-07-30T10:14:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/30\/my-youtube-plays-with-the-screen-off-now-and-i-didnt-even-pay-for-premium\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T10:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:14:23","slug":"my-youtube-plays-with-the-screen-off-now-and-i-didnt-even-pay-for-premium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/30\/my-youtube-plays-with-the-screen-off-now-and-i-didnt-even-pay-for-premium\/","title":{"rendered":"My YouTube plays with the screen off now, and I didn’t even pay for Premium"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \n \"4\"\n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. As a long-time Windows and Android user, he has extensive knowledge of both operating systems and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides.\u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pankil has been writing about Windows, Android, and iOS since 2021. He has written over 1200 articles across reputable publications like MakeUseOf, GuidingTech<\/a>, and TechWiser<\/a>.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside of his writing endeavors, Pankil is an avid football fan and loves to plan his international travels with his wife in his free time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

I don\u2019t mind paying for good software, and YouTube Premium is actually a decent subscription even after the recent price hike. But now that I\u2019ve tried LibreTube, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever subscribe to YouTube Premium again. <\/p>\n

LibreTube is a free, open-source YouTube client for Android that offers a cleaner, more privacy-focused way to watch YouTube. I first tried it while exploring open-source alternatives for Google\u2019s apps<\/a>, and the more I\u2019ve used it, the more it has become my default way to watch YouTube. <\/p>\n

\n YouTube feels refreshingly simple with LibreTube
\n <\/h2>\n

\n No ads, no accounts, and no tracking
\n <\/h3>\n

The biggest draw of LibreTube is that it\u2019s completely free. It gives you almost all the YouTube Premium features without a monthly fee. I mostly started using it for background playback, and it works brilliantly. I can play a podcast or a recipe video and lock the screen. There\u2019s even support for picture-in-picture mode, which means I can watch videos while doing other things on my phone. And if it\u2019s something I need offline, LibreTube lets me download YouTube videos<\/a> or save just the audio.<\/p>\n

All of this is great, but the main reason I like LibreTube is because of all the extra perks it offers. One of my favorites is the audio-only mode. It essentially turns LibreTube into a music player, which is kind of genius. It’s a great way to save data and enjoy songs without switching to a different app like YouTube Music.<\/p>\n

Another useful feature is the SponsorBlock. LibreTube can automatically skip sponsored segments in YouTube videos, which is helpful while listening to videos with the screen off. And it gets even better. If you only want to use LibreTube for music streaming, you can configure the app to skip non-music sections automatically. There are similar options for skipping previews, recaps, greetings, outros, and much more. That means all you get is the content you want and nothing else.<\/p>\n

\n LibreTube gives me what the official app won\u2019t
\n <\/h2>\n

\n It\u2019s not just about money
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\"LibreTube\n <\/picture>Credit:\u00a0Pankil Shah \/ MakeUseOf<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Using LibreTube isn\u2019t all about saving money for me. As I said earlier, YouTube Premium is one of the better value-for-money subscription services out there. For anyone who spends hours on YouTube every week, the subscription easily justifies the cost because it works across every device you own.<\/p>\n

My issue with YouTube has always been with the app rather than the subscription. The official app doesn\u2019t give me the level of control LibreTube does. The biggest example here is Shorts. I have absolutely no interest in them, yet YouTube puts them front and center in the Home tab. Yes, there\u2019s now an option to disable Shorts from the time management menu, but that doesn\u2019t hide the Shorts tab. On LibreTube, there\u2019s no Shorts tab at the bottom, and you can even reorder the sections in the navigation bar as you like.<\/p>\n

Another small but extremely likable thing LibreTube offers is gesture controls. I can swipe up or down on either side of the screen to control brightness and volume. Heck, I can even set different video quality preferences for regular and fullscreen viewing. It\u2019s details like these that make me prefer LibreTube over the official YouTube app.<\/p>\n

LibreTube\u2019s design also deserves some credit. I\u2019ve tried other YouTube alternatives like NewPipe<\/a>, but I can\u2019t stand its outdated interface. LibreTube looks way more polished. It follows Material You design principles and has tons of customization options. <\/p>\n

\n All the YouTube essentials are still there
\n <\/h2>\n

\n I’m not missing out anything
\n <\/h3>\n
\n
\"LibreTube\n <\/picture>Credit:\u00a0Pankil Shah \/ MakeUseOf<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The idea of watching YouTube without your Google account sounds great from a privacy standpoint, but that usually also means you lose access to important features like your subscriptions, search history, watch history, playlists, and more. That\u2019s not the case with LibreTube, though.<\/p>\n

You can still subscribe to channels, access your watch history, create playlists, and do most things that\u2019d normally require an account. The app stores all of it locally on your phone, which means I\u2019m not sacrificing much convenience by choosing LibreTube. The obvious trade-off here is that my YouTube data doesn\u2019t get synced across devices. If you watch YouTube only on your phone, this won\u2019t matter much. But if you like the continuity across devices, this can be a deal-breaker.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"LibreTube\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n \t\t\t\t\t\tLibreTube
\n\t\t\t<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOS<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndroid<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice model<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree (open-source)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n There are a few compromises, but I can\u2019t complain
\n <\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no secret that Google has been cracking down on YouTube alternatives like LibreTube. And because of this, LibreTube can be inconsistent at times. Every now and then, you may find that the app refuses to load anything or show errors. The other thing I occasionally miss is Gemini integration. On YouTube, I can simply ask Gemini to summarize the video or ask specific questions about it, which is handy for long videos. <\/p>\n

Still, these compromises are relatively easy to live with. And of course, I can always fall back to the YouTube app when LibreTube breaks or I need a feature that\u2019s only available in the official app.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Samsung\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n \t\t\t\t\t\tSamsung Galaxy S26
\n\t\t\t<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSoC<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplay<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRAM<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t12 GB<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStorage<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t256 or 512 GB<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Published Jun 20, 2026, 7:00\u202fPM EDT Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. As a long-time Windows and Android user, he has extensive knowledge of both operating systems and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides.\u00a0 \u00a0 Pankil has been writing about Windows, Android, and iOS since 2021. He has written […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":923621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1299,49,104640],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-923620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plays","category-youtube","category-youtube-videos"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/923620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=923620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/923620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/923621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=923620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=923620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=923620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}