Skip to content

Playback: Background Play

Welcome to the official documentation for Playback, a browser for Android built around one idea: whatever you're watching or listening to shouldn't stop just because you locked the screen or switched apps.

What is Playback?

Open a website — YouTube, a music site, a podcast page, or anything else with audio or video — start playing, and keep going with the screen off, with another app open, or in a small floating window that stays on top while you do something else.

Key features

  • Background play - keep audio and video going with the screen off or another app open, with playback controls in a notification
  • Floating video - shrink the page into a small, draggable, resizable window that stays on top of other apps
  • Works with any website - type a web address or a search, or jump in with one-tap platform shortcuts for YouTube, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Spotify Web, Vimeo, Dailymotion and Google
  • Keeps YouTube playing - automatically dismisses YouTube's "Video paused. Continue watching?" prompt on youtube.com, so background playback isn't interrupted
  • Favorites and History - your favourite pages and where you've been, saved on your device
  • Play local video files - open a video already stored on your device
  • Home screen shortcuts - pin a platform, a web address or an app section straight to your home screen
  • Back up to Google Drive - save your favorites, history and settings to your own Google Drive
  • Desktop site mode and a choice of default search platform
  • Sleep timer and shortcut pinning for the current page with Playback Pro

Quick Start

  1. Install Playback from Google Play
  2. Open the app and type a web address, type a search, or tap a platform shortcut
  3. Play something - audio or video keeps going even after you lock the screen or switch apps
  4. Tap Floating video in the menu to keep watching in a small window while you use other apps

Requirements

  • Android 6.0 or later
  • Some features need extra Android permissions, such as displaying over other apps for the floating window. Playback only asks for them when you use that feature - see the User Guide

Documentation

Support

Need help? Contact us: