Top 6 Ways to Fix YouTube Picture in Picture Not Working on iPhone
Most video streaming services like Apple TV, Prime Video, Netflix, etc. have already got on the PiP train on iPhone. YouTube recently released an update to add Picture in Picture mode on iPhone. However, this comes with a few drawbacks and may not work for everyone. Here is how to fix YouTube Picture in Picture not working on iPhone.
Apple officially caught up with Android in Picture in Picture mode with the iOS 14 update last year. Google YouTube is perhaps the last major video service to add PiP support to the iPhone.
It can be helpful to watch a YouTube video while browsing Twitter or Reddit. If that doesn’t work, follow the troubleshooting steps below to resolve the issue.
1. Update the YouTube app
First of all, you need to update the YouTube app on your iPhone to the latest version. Not many people keep their apps up to date on iPhone, and outdated version can prevent Picture in Picture from working on iPhone.
Open the App Store on iPhone and go to your account. Find YouTube in the updates menu and download the latest version to iPhone.
2. Update iOS
Is your iPhone running iOS 14 or higher? Otherwise, you need to update to the latest operating system from the Settings menu.
Apple enabled Picture in Picture on iPhone only with the iOS 14 update. Those of the older version cannot activate PiP in any app, let alone YouTube.
Open settings and go to General> Software update and update iOS to the latest version.
3. Subscribe to YouTube Premium
Unfortunately, YouTube has decided to limit picture-in-picture to premium users only.
You need to pay YouTube Premium from the web or mobile app to activate PiP mode on the iPhone.
The company might open PiP mode for all users in the future, but at the moment it’s limited to Premium subscribers only. The subscription costs $ 11.99 per month in the United States.
With YouTube Premium, you get an ad-free YouTube experience, unlimited video download option, background video playback, and YouTube Music subscription.
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4. Activate YouTube Picture in Picture
YouTube has yet to widely roll out the feature. The company may ask you to activate the feature from the Try New Feature menu in the app. Here’s how to get there.
Step 1: Open YouTube on iPhone.
2nd step: Tap the profile icon at the top.
Step 3: Go to settings.
Step 4: Open the Try new features menu.
Step 5: Activate Picture mode in YouTube Picture for iPhone.
Close the app from the multitasking menu, open YouTube, and try using picture-in-picture mode.
5. Activate Picture-in-Picture mode
First, we enabled YouTube PiP mode from the Try new features menu. Now you need to activate the same in the General menu.
If picture-in-picture is disabled in the Settings menu, it will not work for you. Follow the steps below to activate it.
Step 1: Open the YouTube app on iPhone.
2nd step: Go to the account profile> Settings menu.
Step 3: Select General.
Step 4: Activate picture in picture in the following menu.
Try to play a YouTube video and try to minimize the app. A mini floating player should appear at the bottom to watch the video.
6. Use YouTube in the browser
Even after following all the above methods, if YouTube Picture in Picture is not working for you, it is time to switch to mobile browser.
Open Safari or Google Chrome browser and visit YouTube. Sign in using your account credentials and play a YouTube video.
Reveal the full YouTube video in landscape mode and try to minimize the app. You will see a floating YouTube video appear on the iPhone home screen.
YouTube picture-in-picture features
The feature set is comparable to that of Apple TV and other iPhone streaming apps. You can play / pause the video, rewind / forward the video 15 seconds, and even resize the window by double-tapping it.
Our favorite of the group is the background audio playback. Just swipe right or left on the PiP, and it will pin to one of the sides and continue to play audio in the background.
Play YouTube videos in PiP mode on iPhone
Millions of people spend more time on YouTube than on any other streaming service, and official support for Picture in Picture on iPhone is excellent. If you’re having any issues, the steps above should fix the issue for you.
Last updated Sep 17, 2021
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