Microsoft added this YouTube Premium function to Edge free of charge

A number of days in the past, Microsoft launched a brand new replace for its Edge browser that gives an attention-grabbing new function: playback of video content material within the background. This implies now you can use Edge to play YouTube movies in a minimized tab and nonetheless have it going within the background.

This may increasingly not appear to be an enormous deal in itself, however Edge additionally has built-in advert blocking. Mix the 2 collectively and also you get a reasonably potent combo: you possibly can watch YouTube movies within the background (a function that’s solely accessible to YouTube Premium subscribers) with none advertisements (additionally restricted to YouTube Premium), all freed from cost.

Android Authority first found this function in Edge Canary, which is essentially the most cutting-edge model of Edge with the newest options and developments. Notice, nonetheless, that Edge Canary is unstable, might crash, and will not work correctly on all units. If you wish to attempt it out, you possibly can obtain it on the Google Play Retailer.

Background playback with no advertisements

To activate the advert blocker in Edge, go to Settings after which Web site settings. Then choose Block advertisements and activate Adblock Plus. This can be a built-in function. No must obtain a further extension.

To activate background playback, you want to enter edge://flags within the Edge deal with bar. This may take you to the experimental options which might be nonetheless underneath improvement. Right here, seek for Video Background Play and toggle it to enabled. Restart the app and also you’re good to go!

Not a full alternative, however shut sufficient

Strictly talking, with background playback and no advertisements, you continue to don’t get the full-blown YouTube Premium expertise. The $13.99/month subscription additionally grants entry to YouTube Music and the flexibility to obtain movies to observe offline. In order for you all of YouTube Premium’s options, you possibly can do this free app.

Nonetheless, it’s good that Microsoft provides the chance to bypass a number of the limitations that YouTube has put up with its premium subscription with two easy options within the Edge browser—and this even though advert blockers are literally a thorn within the sides of many suppliers (some even need to ban advert blockers utterly).

Curiously, this isn’t the primary time Microsoft has inadvertently supplied a workaround to observe YouTube movies with out advertisements. Earlier this 12 months, there was a bug in Microsoft’s Bing Search that additionally made it attainable to bypass advertisements on YouTube movies.

Edge isn’t the one browser that enables video content material to be performed within the background, by the way in which. Courageous and Samsung Web even have this selection. Nonetheless, it stays to be seen whether or not the modifications will make it into the reside model of Edge earlier than YouTube complains.

Necessary: Do not forget that YouTube creators reside off promoting income. So when you don’t need to assist your favourite channels immediately, for instance through channel memberships or donations, you are able to do so not directly by watching advertisements on their movies.

Additional studying: I block each advert on YouTube and I’m not ashamed