Using YouTube on Safari gives you features and integration with iOS that you just can’t get, either with the YouTube app or other browsers like Google Chrome. Among the benefits is the ability to play audio from YouTube in the background while using another app in the foreground. With the explosion of music videos available on YouTube recently, that gives you all kinds of listening options.
Youtube on Safari
A long time ago now, on an iPhone far away from running iOS 5 and older, a YouTube app was built into every iPhone. Even after Apple removed that app, millions of users have stayed loyal to the YouTube brand, updated it faithfully and it remains the go-to video destination for many. It’s a household name that many users trust, and they will happily wait a few seconds while the familiar red-colored app branding to appear every time they tap a link to YouTube content while browsing with their mobile device.
Here are several different ways to make Safari the default viewer for YouTube content, if you want to use the Apple browser’s benefits, such as bookmarking a direct link to a YouTube video or playlist. Maybe you’ll want to save battery life by not showing a video on the screen, or do something else while listening to a video playing in the background. Try them all and use the solution that works best for your iPhone model and configuration.
Remove The YouTube App
If you are irritated by having the app open up every time you want to watch a video clip, simply delete the YouTube app from your iPad. This will free up considerable storage as well, and if your iPhone is filling up, may help it run smoother. YouTube links will just open up in the same browser you view them with. You may see pop-ups inviting you to install the app when you view YouTube on Safari, but closing the pop-ups is still faster than loading another app each time.
Copy A Link To Safari
When you see a YouTube link, don’t tap it – press it and hold until a Copy option pops up. Copy the link address, open a new Safari tab and paste the link you copied into its address bar.
For an optimized mobile version of the browser, before you tap Go, replace “www.” at the start of the URL with “m.” (making https://m.youtube.com/watch…)
Use The YouTube Desktop Site
To use the familiar layout and options of the YouTube desktop site, open a Safari tab and type in its address bar:
Then tap Go. This forces Safari to show the desktop page. Save this as the link if you want to make the most of your iPad’s larger screen, or search through playlists and video collections more easily than the mobile site.
Avoid Redirections To The App Using Mobile Version Of YouTube On Safari
In Safari, type the URL m.youtube.com
This directs you to the mobile version of the site, which doesn’t redirect to the YouTube app.
