How to Keep Audio Playing in the Background in Chrome on Android

Does audio stop playing in Chrome on Android when you switch apps or when the screen turns off?

This issue arises due to Android’s recent battery optimizations, which can close audio connections in the Chrome browser. While helpful for conserving power, this can be frustrating—for example, during long conferences when you want to listen to live interpretation without keeping your screen on.

Fortunately, you can resolve this by changing your Android device’s battery restriction settings for Chrome. This ensures you can continue listening to the audio while your screen is off to save battery life.

Key Benefits

• Avoid unnecessary disruptions by ensuring audio continues playing when you move the app to the background or turn off your screen.
• Conserve your phone’s battery life while keeping your screen off.

How It Works

Step 1: Open your phone’s Settings app.

Step 2: Go to Apps > Chrome.

Step 3: Tap on App battery usage > Allow background usage.

Step 4: Switch the setting from Optimized to Unrestricted.

Step 5: Open the Chrome browser and start playing audio for testing. Then, turn off your screen or switch to another app and see if the audio continues to play in the background.

Important notes:

• The exact labels and menu options may vary depending on your Android device manufacturer (e.g., Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.), but the process is similar across devices.
• The Unrestricted setting applies to all Chrome tabs. You can close any open tabs or switch the setting back to Optimized to continue conserving battery life.

By following these steps, Android users can enjoy a seamless listening experience in the Chrome browser.