YouTube introduced a lock screen feature that is available for its Android and iOS apps. Once enabled, the feature disables the touch input while you watch a video on the platform so that accidental taps do not pause, skip, or disrupt the video. Today you will learn how to lock YouTube screens on iPhone and Android, either by using the official feature or a workaround method.
It is very annoying when we accidentally touch the screen while watching a YouTube video, and the next thing we see is that either another video is playing or some other action has triggered pausing the playing video. To avoid accidental touches, we can lock the screen while watching anything on YouTube.
As a parent of young kids, there have been times when you might have handed over your phone to your kids to watch content made for them. However, when you get the phone back, you either have too many apps open, some other video is being played on YouTube, your apps are placed everywhere, or maybe they have even been deleted. This can get very annoying. If that’s the case, you can fix this problem right away.
We have listed the steps that you can follow for both Android and iOS devices. Read through the ones that are applicable to you.
How to Use YouTube’s Lock Screen Feature on Android & iOS
As mentioned earlier, the Lock Screen feature prevents accidental pauses or skips when you are playing a video. Initially, the feature was available for premium users, but now everyone can make use of the feature and lock the screen by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Open the YouTube app and play a video of your choice.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon at the top-right corner.
Step 3: Select Lock Screen from the available menu options.
As soon as you do, the video will be locked in landscape mode to prevent accidental touches.
How to Lock YouTube Screen on Android using Third-Party Apps
Since most phones nowadays come with touch capability, accidental touches are likely to happen. On smartphones, Android and iOS devices are the most popular. Using an Android device? Well, you can now easily lock the screen on YouTube.
Just follow these simple steps. This will work on almost any Android device, no matter what version of Android your device is running on. We will be using a third-party app as there is no built-in option available for locking and unlocking the touch of the device easily.
Step 1: Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
Step 2: Tap on the search bar at the top of the app and type in Touch Blocker. You can also try other similar apps.
Step 3: The app will have a blue icon with a white lock inside it.
Step 4: Once you find the app, tap on the Install button.
Step 5: Next, tap on the button that says Open. The Touch blocker app will now be launched.
Step 6: With the app installed and open, it’s time to adjust a few settings in order for the app to work properly.
Step 7: Tap on the toggle that says Enable Notifications. You need this so that you can easily enable or disable the screen lock when watching YouTube.
Step 8: Next, you can adjust other settings, such as what is to be done when you have incoming phone calls, etc.
Step 9: In order to unlock the screen lock, you can select the toggle that says to press the lock icon twice to unlock. Another option will be to disable it from the notification panel.
And this is how you can set up the YouTube screen lock on your Android device. To activate the screen lock, launch the YouTube app and play the desired video. Now, swipe down from the top to open the notifications panel. Simply tap on the Touch Blocker notification, and the screen lock has now been activated.
How to Lock YouTube Screen on iPhone
Thankfully, in the case of the iPhone, you don’t have to install or download any third-party apps. iPhones come with a Guided Access feature, which we will be using in this guide. You can follow these steps to enable the lock screen on YouTube on your iPhone.
Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone from the home screen.
Step 2: Scroll down and select the Accessibility option.
Step 3: With the Accessibility menu open, scroll and tap on the Guided Access option.
Step 4: Tap on the Passcode Settings > Set Guided Access Passcode.
Step 5: You will be asked to enter your passcode twice. Once you have done that, close the Settings app.
Step 6: Launch the YouTube app and play your desired video.
Step 7: While the video is playing, press the lock button three times. If your iPhone has the home button, press the home button three times.
Step 8: A message will pop up on your screen. Tap on Guided Access.
Step 9: The screen will now be locked, and you can watch YouTube with the screen lock enabled.
In order to get out of the YouTube screen lock on your iPhone, either press the lock button or the home button (if your iPhone has the home button) and enter the passcode that you were asked to create for guided access. Once the password has been entered, your screen will now be unlocked, and you will be able to use the screen like you normally would.
Can You Lock YouTube Screen on PC?
You would be interested to know whether you can lock the YouTube screen on your PC too. Well, here we are going to share the answer that can help you with your queries or doubts.
The short answer is going to be no, as browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge, and other browsers don’t support locking YouTube. Since on PC, there are fewer chances for accidental touches or clicks, locking YouTube isn’t going to be your priority. Instead, you can lock the mouse and keyboard, or you can temporarily disable their drivers in the device manager.
Wrapping Up
So, these are the steps through which you can lock the YouTube screen on Android and iPhone devices. For PC, you won’t be able to lock the screen as you will be using YouTube on a browser.
I hope this guide has helped you understand how to lock the screen on YouTube or even on any other video platform app when handing the device to your kids. If you have any questions or queries, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
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