How to enable Picture in Picture for YouTube on your iPhone

Learn how to enable Picture in Picture for YouTube on your iPhone for seamless multitasking while watching videos.

Picture in Picture (PiP) is built into iOS, and most media apps, including YouTube, support it.

While many apps and websites show a clear PiP button on the video player to invoke the Picture in Picture window, things are different with YouTube. So, there are a few things to follow before you can enjoy your favorite YouTube videos in Picture in Picture mode.

Step 1: Get YouTube Premium

You must have a YouTube Premium subscription to watch videos in Picture in Picture on iPhone and iPad. Without it, the official app won’t let you enable and use Picture in Picture.

Note: Google’s support document says that if you are in the United States, you can watch videos (except specific content, like music videos) in Picture in Picture, even without a Premium subscription. However, this only seems to work on Android phones and not iPhones.

Step 2: Turn on Picture in Picture from iOS Settings

The second step involves turning on PiP on the system level.

1. Go to iPhone or iPad Settings and tap General > Picture in Picture.
2. Turn on Start PiP Automatically.

Step 3: Activate Picture in Picture in YouTube app Settings

The Picture in Picture mode is turned off in YouTube app settings, and you will have to enable it first.

1. Open the YouTube app and go to the You tab.
2. Tap the settings icon from the top right.
3. Tap General.
4. Turn on the switch for Picture-in-picture.

Step 4: Enjoy YouTube in Picture in Picture

With everything set in order, play a video in the YouTube app and swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to the Home Screen. The video will detach from the YouTube app and play in a small floating window.

You can place the PiP window in one of the corners and even change its size. You can also drag the window to the edge to hide it and then pull the tab to bring it back on the screen.

The Picture in Picture window has some handy options that let you do the following:

1. Pause/play
2. Skip forward and backward
3. Progress bar
4. PiP button: Stop playing the video in Picture in Picture and return to the YouTube app
5. X button: Close the Picture in Picture window and pause the playback.

On a related note: How to fix YouTube Picture in Picture not working on iPhone, iPad, and Mac