YouTube Expands Picture-in-Picture Feature Globally for All Users

YouTube unveiled its Picture-in-Picture (PiP) feature a few years ago, allowing users to continue watching videos in a small window while using other apps. Now, the Google-owned video platform has announced that the PiP mode is expanding to more users worldwide over the coming months. Previously, the PiP feature was limited to YouTube Premium members outside of US on Android and iOS devices. Only non-premium users in the United States could access the feature.

YouTube Confirms Global Expansion of PiP 

Google, through a post on its Support page, confirmed that PiP is now rolling out to all YouTube users globally in the coming months. This feature lets users shrink the video into a smaller player that keeps playing even after they leave or minimise the YouTube app. Google made the PiP feature available to Premium subscribers on iOS back in 2021. It is a convenient way to multitask, as users can keep the video open while performing other tasks.

With the latest update, non-premium users outside the US can now have access to PiP for long-form, non-music content on their Android and iOS devices. Premium Lite Members will continue to access the PiP for long-form, non-music content on Android and iOS. Finally, the Premium members can access PiP for both music (Premium-only) and non-music content.

While watching a YouTube video, users can swipe up or press the home button to leave the app, and the video will automatically keep playing in a floating window on the screen. The small player can be moved anywhere on the smartphone's home screen and positioned over other apps.

You can stop PiP from activating by pausing or stopping the video before leaving the YouTube app. Users may need to adjust either the YouTube app or device settings if it isn't working properly.

The PiP can be turned off by opening the YouTube app, heading to Settings > Playback > toggle Picture-in-Picture to off.

For turning picture-in-picture on on your Android device, head to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Advanced > Picture-in-Picture and toggle it on.

Users can either tap the floating video to show controls and press the X icon in the top-right corner, or drag the mini player down to the bottom of the screen to dismiss it.