Xiaomi recently broke the news on its Mi Fans Telegram channel (via Android Authority) that it’s scrapping a feature allowing devices using MIUI and HyperOS to play audio from YouTube videos even when the screen is off. The company cited compliance requirements for this decision.
In its post, Xiaomi informed users that it has removed the “Play video sound with screen off” feature from the video toolbox and the “Turn off screen” function from the game toolbox in recent updates. These features were initially introduced with MIUI 12.
Last year, Xiaomi replaced the traditional MIUI with a brand-new operating system called HyperOS. Popular flagship smartphones running on HyperOS, as well as those still running on the older MIUI, are affected by the removal. Some of the affected devices include:
Take a look at Xiaomi’s screenshot for the full list of system and security versions and device models.
Wondering why Xiaomi is making this change? According to the post, it’s all about compliance requirements. It seems the shift is in response to Google’s crackdown on services providing YouTube Premium features at no cost.
YouTube Premium, a monthly subscription service, brings users exclusive perks such as ad-free viewing, video downloads, and background video playback with other apps open or when the screen is off. With a competitor offering one of YouTube Premium‘s paid features for free, it’s understandable that Google would take issue with it.
