YouTube starts rolling out picture-in-picture mode to iPhone, iPad users: How to use it

YouTube has rolled out an update that brings the much-awaited picture-in-picture (PiP) mode to its app on iOS and iPadOS. The company, in a post on its Community Page, said it will be rolling out the feature to iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 or higher over the next several days.

But there is a catch. Not all iPhone and iPad users will be able to use the picture-in-picture mode on their iPhones and iPads just yet. YouTube in the post on its community page said that all YouTube Premium members globally accessing YouTube’s subscription-based service, that is, YouTube Premium, via their iPhones and iPads will be able to access all content — music and non-music — in PiP mode. “If you don’t turn on PiP, you’ll still be able to use background play by default (based on your feedback from our experiments),” YouTube wrote in the post.

it’s happening! ✨ picture-in-picture is slowly rolling out for YouTube on iPhone & iPad, & just like on Android, will be avail to:

Premium members globally &
non-Premium members in US (non-music only)

it’s been a long time coming ???? all the details ➡️ https://t.co/mNbPWWE21n pic.twitter.com/ZeBY48KOhH

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) July 11, 2022

On the other hand, non-paying YouTube users in the US using the YouTube app on iPhone and iPad will have access to PiP only for non-music content. This means that the non-paying YouTube users across the globe, you are using the company’s app on their iPhones and iPads will not be able to access this feature at all.

Contrary to this, Android users already have the access to this feature.

How to use the picture-in-picture mode in YouTube app on iPhone or iPad

Step 1: Tap on your profile picture.
Step 2: Scroll down to the Settings section and tap it.
Step 3: Now tap the General option.
Step 4: In General Setting turn-on Picture-in-picture using the toggle button.

“If you don’t turn on PiP, you’ll still be able to use background play by default (based on your feedback from our experiments),” YouTube noted in its post.

PiP mode and its confusing roll out history

All said and done, YouTube has been slow and incredibly confusing when it comes rolling out PiP mode on iOS and iPadOS powered devices. YouTube, back in 2021, announced that it is bringing the PiP mode to iPhone and iPads. At the time, the company had said that the feature was rolling out to Premium subscribers and that it would be available to all iOS users, including the non-paying ones, ones in the US in the following weeks. As The Verge notes, the feature was made available on an experimental basis in YouTube Premium by August 2021.

Then earlier this year the company clarified that the feature was being rolled out to the YouTube TV app for devices running the iOS 15 or higher. “If you’re referring to the one for the YouTube app, it’s only available to Premium members on Android mobile phones,” the company had written in a tweet.

That’s the plan — more updates to come soon! And for the U.S., we’ll bring this feature to Premium and non-Premium.

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) April 11, 2022

The following month, YouTube announced that the picture-in-picture was now rolling out to iOS 15 or higher powered devices.

iPhone & iPad users ????

We’re happy to share that picture-in-picture is now rolling out to your iOS 15+ devices. Simply select a video to watch and swipe ⬆️ from the bottom of the screen to return to the device’s homepage. The video can scale down and move across your screen.

— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) March 30, 2022

Now the company has made a similar announcement. Albeit, this time, it has admitted that it has been slow to roll out the feature and that it should arrive in the app soon.

“We recognize this has been a slow roll out for a highly requested feature, and want to thank everyone who shared feedback during experiments (including recently on youtube.com/new), and waited patiently for this moment,” the company wrote.

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