Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has been forced to remove a popular feature from its phones due to pressure from Google. The feature in question is the ability to play videos in the background with the screen turned off.
This feature, previously available on Xiaomi's HyperOS, has been removed following a warning from Google. While the option for background video playback can still be found in MIUI 12, Xiaomi has decided to discontinue it after Google's intervention.
The capability to play videos in the background with the screen off was originally reserved for premium users. However, it was accessible to all users, even those without a premium subscription, on apps like YouTube.
According to reports from Gizmochina, Xiaomi will gradually phase out this feature from its video toolbox through new updates. The video toolbox was highly praised for its useful features and was added to MIUI 12.
Now, in MIUI 15 (or HyperOS as Xiaomi calls it), there will be no option to play videos with the screen off. Users who still wish to use this feature will need to subscribe to YouTube Premium.
For users on MIUI 12 and above, if they choose to upgrade their security app to the mentioned version, the ability to play videos with the screen off will be disabled. While this may disappoint some users, Xiaomi has officially stated that this action is necessary to comply with Google's policies.
Xiaomi's compliance with Google's policies has led to the removal of this feature, much to the disappointment of users. Unfortunately, there is little that users can do to circumvent this decision.