YouTube picture-in-picture support is now officially available to iPhone users, but some folks will have to pay an additional fee to get the "experimental" feature early.
This illustration picture taken on July 24, 2019 in Paris shows the logo of the US Youtube logo application on the screen of a tablet.
The picture-in-picture feature of iOS allows users to watch videos while they are using other apps simultaneously.
As per MacRumors, Apple added the multitasking feature on iOS 9 for iPads. Meanwhile, iPhones only got it beginning on iOS 14, allowing its users to watch a video while taking a video call--among others.
YouTube Picture-in-Picture
Although YouTube already announced that its iOS app is welcoming support for the picture-in-picture mode, it has yet to begin its wider rollout.
That said, The Verge reported last June 18 that YouTube is already releasing picture-in-picture support to some premium users of the video platform, assuring those non-paying users will also get the feature in the United States later on.
Before the official support of YouTube for the multitasking feature of Apple, iPad users went on to use the built-in browser, Safari, to watch their video on the platform while doing something else.
iPhone users once went to Safari as well, until YouTube blocked it even on the browser unless you are willing to pay for their Premium tier. Interestingly, iPad has been spared from this move.
YouTube Picture-on-Picture Officially Available to iPhone Users
As per Apple Insider, Google announced on Aug. 24 that its picture-in-picture feature is now officially available for its iOS app. But the catch is only the premium subscribers will get to access it in the meantime.
It is also worth noting that Google still considers the picture-in-picture mode as an "experimental feature." As such, users will only get to use it via manual activation.
What's more, the picture-in-picture experiment will only be available for a limited time. iPhone users could enable the feature up until Oct. 31. After which, folks will have to wait for it to roll out outside of the "experimental" stage, which will begin for the premium users, and the release for non-paying users will follow.
YouTube Picture-on-Picture in Premium: How to Use
To cut to the chase, here's how to use the picture-in-picture feature on your YouTube app on your iPhone.
Remember that it will only be enabled if you are a Premium subscriber, not just Music Premium--like how any other experimental features works.
- Open your preferred browser on your iPhone
- Sign in to your Google Account that is linked to your YouTube
- Visit YouTube.com/new
- Look for the "Picture-in-picture on iOS" section
- Tap "Try it out"
And that's it, you may now watch a YouTube video while doing something else on your iPhone.
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Written by Teejay Boris
