Google launched a “experimental” picture-in-picture functionality for its iOS YouTube app on Tuesday, allowing premium customers to watch videos while using other apps.
For the time being, picture-in-picture mode is only available to YouTube Premium subscribers and is still considered an experimental feature, requiring explicit activation before use. When turned on, users can turn YouTube’s viewing window into a “mini player” that sits on top of other programs.
To use PiP, subscribers must first go to YouTube.com/new and select the “Picture-in-picture on iOS” experiment while logged in to their Google Account. The option for that account is activated when you select “Try it out.”
After watching a video on the YouTube app on iPhone, users can swipe up or hit the home button to close it and see a small player. In the little PiP pane, the video will continue to play.
The movie is paused when the screen is locked, but it may be resumed via the lock screen controls, according to YouTube.
In July, YouTube announced that a PiP mode would be available to premium members in the United States. In 2020, Apple enabled and stopped support for iOS 14‘s picture-in-picture feature many times, while today’s announcement hints a long-term solution is on the way.
The PiP experiment is only available on iPhone and will finish on October 31.
