YouTubes picture-in-picture goes global for free, but theres still an annoying catch

Source: Mashable Tech

Overview

One of the most compelling reasons to get YouTube’s Premium subscriptions is picture-in-picture; that is, the ability to continue watching a video in a smaller, floating window while you interact with other apps on your phone.

In the U.S., picture-in-picture isn’t limited to Premium users; Premium Lite users, as well as users who aren’t paying any sort of YouTube subscription, get it too. Now, YouTube has announced it will be rolling out this feature to all users globally, on both iOS and Android.

There is a pretty big caveat, though: this will only work on long‑form, non‑music videos for Premium Lite and free users. Only YouTube Premium subscribers can get picture-in-picture for music content. Better than nothing, eh?

It’s worth noting that there’s no change for users in the U.S.; the only change is for international users.

How to get picture-in-picture on your phone for free

• While watching a long‑form, non‑music video on an iPhone, swipe up as if you’re closing the app. The video will stay floating, and you can move it around while accessing other apps. On Android, you may need to press the home button instead of swiping, depending on your phone model.

• If the above doesn’t work, you may need to enable picture-in-picture in your settings:

  • iPhone: Settings → General → Picture-in-Picture → enable “Start PiP Automatically.” Disable it if you don’t want the window to pop up every time you close the YouTube app.
  • Android: Settings → Apps → Special app access → toggle “Picture‑in‑picture” for the YouTube app.

If it isn’t working for you, have patience. YouTube said the feature will be rolling out globally “in the coming months.”