Xiaomi’s earlier smartphone iterations harbored a feature cherished by users – the ability to play videos with the screen off, particularly useful for YouTube. This function facilitated listening to various audio content while doing other tasks or saving battery. However, Xiaomi has phased out this background playback feature in its latest MIUI updates, including versions 12, 13, and the newest MIUI 14, alongside HyperOS adaptations. Users have now lost the convenience of playing YouTube in the background without a Premium subscription. The discontinuation stems from adherence to YouTube’s policies, which aim to preserve certain perks for Premium users. Xiaomi’s updates, which arrive over the air, align the company with these terms, although it has caused some disappointment among its smartphone user base.
Understanding Compliance and User Impact
In response to Google’s regulations, which protect YouTube Premium services like background play and ad-free viewing, Xiaomi has withdrawn certain features from its devices. This compliance highlights a device maker’s obligation to honor agreements with content providers, even if it means removing user-favorite functionalities. Xiaomi’s move underlines its adherence to the legal and economic agreements with content distributors.
Xiaomi users, now deprived of extended features for YouTube and some gaming apps, must adjust their usage habits. The amendment particularly impacts gamers who previously saved battery by turning off their screens while games ran in the background. This situation reflects a broader industry challenge, where hardware manufacturers’ innovations geared toward user convenience must be balanced with content providers’ constraints designed to protect their revenue streams.