Xiaomi is taking away a superhit YouTube feature from its users; check details

Xiaomi is rolling back a feature on its smartphones that was highly popular among users for its convenience. This feature allowed users to listen to the audio of YouTube videos with the screen off, mimicking a functionality that YouTube reserves for its paying Premium subscribers. Xiaomi's decision to disable this feature comes as part of an Over-The-Air (OTA) update and is in response to unspecified compliance requirements.

This move aligns with YouTube's increased efforts to encourage users to subscribe to its Premium service, which offers ad-free streaming and the ability to play videos in a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode or just the audio in the background. YouTube has been actively trying to limit workarounds that mimic these premium features, including slowing down video playback for users with ad blockers and making it harder to skip ads.

Xiaomi introduced this background play functionality with its MIUI 12 system update in 2021. The feature removal will impact all Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI versions 12, 13, 14, and the newest HyperOS. The affected models include the Xiaomi 14 series, the Xiaomi 13 series, and the Xiaomi 12T.

In their official note, Xiaomi expressed regret over the decision but did not provide specific details on the compliance issues that led to it. While the removal is a significant change for non-premium YouTube users on Xiaomi devices, it does not affect YouTube Premium subscribers who will continue to enjoy their paid features on these smartphones.

The change is notable as it comes amid reports of YouTube potentially extending PiP mode to non-Premium users outside the United States, although this has not been officially confirmed by the company.

For Xiaomi users, the news means that one of the clever workarounds for enjoying YouTube music and content in the background is going away. It highlights the ongoing tussle between device manufacturers offering value-added features to their users and service providers guarding their premium offerings.