YouTube Music Keeps Pausing? Fix Battery Optimization (2025)

If YouTube Music stops playing exactly 10 or 30 minutes after you lock your screen, or cuts out when you open another app, it is rarely a network issue. It is almost always your phone’s operating system “killing” the app to save battery.

Last verified: November 2025

⚡ Quick Fixes (Android Battery Settings)

• Android (General): Settings → Apps → YouTube Music → Battery → “Unrestricted.” If music stops after 10–30 minutes, this is usually the cause.
• Samsung: Settings → Battery and Device Care → Battery → Background usage limits → remove YouTube Music.
• Pixel/stock: Settings → Apps → YouTube Music → App battery usage → “Unrestricted.”
• Bluetooth hiccups: Toggle “Disable Absolute Volume” in Developer Options if volume spikes pause playback.

⚡ Quick Fixes for iOS

On iPhone, the issue is usually Audio Focus.

The “Exclusive Focus” Rule

iOS only allows one app to play audio at a time.

• The Trigger: If you open Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (X) and an auto-play video starts (even silent), iOS kills YouTube Music to give audio control to the new app.
• The Fix: There is no system setting to disable this. You must mute auto-play videos in your social media app settings or use a dedicated “Nonstop” player.

Why It Happens: Audio Focus vs. Battery

• Battery Optimization: The OS thinks, “The user hasn’t touched the screen in 30 minutes; this app must be stuck.” It kills the process to save power.
• Audio Focus: The OS thinks, “The user just opened Instagram; they probably want to hear that Reel.” It pauses your music instantly.

The “Set and Forget” Solution

If you are tired of fighting your phone’s settings menu, YT Nonstop is developing a unified mobile application that handles these permissions for you.

Breaks often? Get the one-click version → Join the Waitlist