How To Watch YouTube On Your Peloton

The concept behind Peloton is simple: You buy an exercise bike, treadmill, or rowing machine with a big screen, then pay a monthly fee to get exclusive classes, metrics, and more. It's an all-in-one experience. Peloton makes the content for Peloton hardware, so everything works without too much effort. 

It's great if you're starting your exercise journey or don't feel like leaving your home to go to the gym a few times a week. Peloton saw a significant surge in subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic because of its simplicity and ease of use, something uncommon in home gym equipment. Peloton has fared less well since, but its equipment remains very popular.

It's not all great, though. For one thing, Peloton is very pricey. The basic level bike, the company's least expensive equipment, is nearly $1,500. On top of that, the subscription is a hefty $44 monthly. The price is comparable to many gym memberships, and you don't need to encounter sweaty strangers, but it's also limited to a single, cardio-focused piece of equipment.

Let's say you skip the monthly fee. Your bike doesn't stop working. It's a standard exercise bike now, only with a giant touchscreen sitting dark. There are no apps for other content providers, so in theory, the screen is now useless. In reality, however, a workaround exists to break out of the Peloton ecosystem.

Unbeknownst to many owners, the Peloton screen uses a modified version of Android. It's pretty locked down, so you can't sideload apps without some tinkering, but you can access a developer web browser included for testing purposes. From there, you can access YouTube, Netflix, and most other web-based apps. That means you can binge shows or watch videos while you work out. You won't be able to see your stats or record data while the browser is running, however. 

You can even watch classes and routines from YouTube, though you won't get things like automatic resistance adjustment or your metrics visible on-screen. 

To use the built-in web browser:

1. Open the Profile section on the Peloton screen.
2. Tap the ... in the lower right.
3. Tap on About.
4. Tap the lower-right corner of the About box seven times. 
5. You'll see a new screen with a single icon titled "WebView Browser Tester." Tap this to open the hidden web browser.
6. Type in the URL of whatever site you'd like to access.

The nice thing about this approach is you don't have to mess with any settings or turn on developer mode, meaning it's far less risky to use and probably will not void your warranty.