Keep YouTube playing while the screen is off, in a floating Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window, or completely hidden. Minimize videos, use Music Mode for audio-only listening, block ads, and control everything from the notification or the floating window.
Minimizer turned ten on 15 August 2026. To mark a decade of Minimizer, Version 10 was rebuilt from scratch with a completely new native interface, a faster and more reliable foundation, and an architecture designed to carry the app into its next ten years.
For nine years, Minimizer was built around YouTube's mobile website. Version 10 changes that completely: the app is now native throughout, with a new foundation designed for better performance, reliability and long-term development.
The floating window, Music Mode, Ghost Mode, screen-off playback, downloads and playlists are all still here, joined by a properly rebuilt sleep timer, a dedicated Playlists tab, and the ability to save any video to any playlist from anywhere in the app.
There is no premium version and no locked features. There never has been, and there never will be. Minimizer is free and supported by ads, with an optional subscription for anyone who wants to support its development and, as a thank you, remove those ads.
Minimize videos, keep playback going with the screen off, download what you love, and fine-tune how the app behaves with powerful but simple settings.
Shrink YouTube into a movable, resizable Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window that stays above other apps. Trigger it from the action bar or even by pressing your phone's Home button.
Turn the player into a small, semi-transparent window that stays fixed in place. Tap the Ghost Mode icon to keep watching while still seeing what's behind it.
Hide the video completely and keep only the audio. Perfect for long mixes, podcasts, and playlists when you just want to listen. Control playback from the notification, lockscreen, or your headphones.
Turn the screen off to save battery while audio keeps playing. Control play, pause, next and previous directly from the notification or your headset buttons.
Sign in to YouTube to access your playlists, history and subscriptions. Add shuffle and repeat to any playlist and loop videos you want to keep playing.
Keep the familiar YouTube interface but add extras: optional built-in ad-blocking,
an Incognito Mode that avoids saving watch and search history, dislike counts via Return YouTube Dislike
and an Auto-Off timer for falling asleep to videos.
*Ad-blocking works for most ads, but we can't guarantee 100% perfect blocking, as YouTube keeps changing things.
Version 10 brings a completely new native interface while keeping the YouTube experience familiar. Browse, search, watch and manage your playlists as you normally would, with Minimizer's controls built around it.
Browse YouTube, watch videos, manage playlists and use Minimizer's controls from a native interface designed specifically for Android. Minimize videos, switch to Music Mode, manage playback and find additional controls in the app's menus and settings.
Version 10 is the biggest change Minimizer has ever made. Most of what you know is still here, but two parts of the old Minimizer experience are changing. We want to be completely transparent about what that means.
Minimizer for YouTube Classic has been part of the app for years, and we know some of you still prefer its original interface. That's why we are not removing it with Version 10.
From August 15, 2026 Classic enters maintenance mode. It will continue to receive fixes when necessary, but it will no longer receive new features.
From August 15, 2027 development and maintenance will end. The app will remain available on Google Play for existing users, but there will be no further updates.
The modern Minimizer app is where new features and development will continue. If you love the original interface, you can keep using Classic for now and whenever you're ready, Version 10 is waiting for you.
Before subscriptions existed, the Ads Free Patch was a small one-time purchase that let people support Minimizer and remove its ads. Version 10 has replaced that system, so the old patch no longer works.
We didn't want those early supporters to simply lose what they paid for. If you purchased the Ads Free Patch, we're giving you 90 days of our ad-free subscription at no cost.
All you need is the Google Play order ID from the original purchase. We'll verify it manually and send you a code.
It's a small way of saying thank you to the people who supported Minimizer long before subscriptions existed.
Follow the latest releases of Minimizer for YouTube and Minimizer for YouTube Classic.
Minimizer is free. Every feature is available to everyone, with an optional subscription for anyone who wants to support development and remove the ads.
The current release, and where all future development happens. Rebuilt from scratch as a native Android app for Minimizer's tenth anniversary.
Tap the button to open Google Play on your device. Make sure you’re signed in with the account you want to install it on.
Classic is still on Google Play and still works, but it entered maintenance mode in August 2026 and will not receive new features.
Answers to common questions about background playback, ads, compatibility and privacy.
Yes. Both Minimizer for YouTube and Minimizer for YouTube Classic let you keep audio playing with the screen off. You can control playback from the notification or your headset buttons, and still use other apps while the video continues in the background.
Minimizer is not affiliated with Google or YouTube, but it provides several features that YouTube Premium users may be familiar with, including background playback and screen-off listening. It also adds features of its own, such as Music Mode, Ghost Mode and a built-in downloader.
Minimizer includes an optional built-in ad-blocker that removes most in-video ads. It can't guarantee 100% blocking, however, because YouTube constantly changes how ads are delivered and displayed, so some ads may still appear.
Minimizer supports a wide range of Android phones and tablets. Most modern Android devices that can install the app from Google Play should work normally. Very old Android versions or devices with manufacturer-specific restrictions may have limitations with features such as background playback or Picture-in-Picture.
Minimizer includes an Incognito Mode designed to keep your browsing activity from being added to your normal YouTube history while it's enabled. You can toggle it from the app settings whenever you want more privacy.
No. Minimizer for YouTube is an independent Android application and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Google or YouTube.
Classic entered maintenance on August 15, 2026. It will continue to work and receive fixes when necessary, but it will no longer receive new features. Maintenance will end on August 15, 2027, after which Classic will remain available on Google Play but will no longer be updated. It will continue to work for as long as YouTube allows. Version 10 is the future of Minimizer, while Classic remains available for users who prefer its original interface.
The Ads Free Patch was replaced by the new subscription system in Version 10, so it no longer works with the new app. If you purchased the Ads Free Patch, you can claim 90 free days of the subscription as a thank you for your support. You will need the Google Play order ID from your original purchase email. Claims are checked by hand and close on August 15, 2027 - claim yours here.
