Picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is now supported by the YouTube TV app on iPhones and iPads running iOS 15 and higher. Nearly a year has passed since the
PiP mode was first tested with YouTube Premium subscribers in the main YouTube app for iOS. It’s interesting to note that Google claims it will ultimately
make the function available to all iOS users, even those without a YouTube Premium subscription, though it’s unclear when that could happen.
Smartphone video apps often have a feature called “picture-in-picture” that enables users to continue watching films even after leaving the app. When Android
8.0 Oreo provided native PiP support for suitable apps, YouTube TV on Android received this functionality back in 2017. PiP support was already present in
the main YouTube app on Android, as well as on Netflix, VLC, Chrome, and Facebook.
In order to keep up with other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, and others, YouTube TV has added picture-in-picture
compatibility for iOS devices running iOS 15 or higher. YouTube has been late to embrace this now-standard feature that enables users to watch movies in a
small, floating mini-player on their home screen while multitasking on their smartphone. This feature was first made available to iPad users with iOS 13 and
subsequently to iPhone users with iOS 14 in 2020.
Highlights:
- YouTube TV is rolling out support for picture-in-picture mode to its iOS app, allowing you to watch a show in a floating window while using another app.
- Simply start watching something in the app, then swipe up from the bottom to activate picture-in-picture mode like you normally would in other apps.
- Google says picture-in-picture in YouTube TV requires iOS 15 or iPad 15 and later. Picture-in-picture has been available for years on Apple devices.
To try out the new functionality with the YouTube TV streaming service, users first select a title they want to play then swipe up from the bottom of the screen
to enable the picture-in-picture mode, the company explained in a tweet announcing the news on Wednesday. YouTube said the feature was “slowly rolling
out,” so not all users may see the option immediately.
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
Using the PiP mode on YouTube TV is fairly easy on an iPhone or iPad. To do that, first, update the app to the latest available version from the App Store. Start
watching a video now, and when you want to go back to the device’s home page, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. The video window will stay open and
the clip will continue to play as usual, but the app itself will close as a result. Now, users can move the video to any location on the screen and reduce the
movie’s size to suit their needs. The typical play/pause, rewind/forward, and other playback controls are also present in the video window and can be used to
manage playback. On the small window, there will also be buttons to return to the full-screen application and to permanently close the video window.
YouTube Tv Gains Picture-In-Picture on iOS 15
On Twitter, Google announced the new feature, stating that all you have to do to start using picture-in-picture is select what you want to watch in the app and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
When you get back to the home screen, the video will be playing in a floating window that you can move around, resize, or slide to the left or right of the screen if you want to concentrate solely on the music. The updated YouTube TV app is required for picture-in-picture functionality.
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
The addition of such a crucial feature to Google’s video app is well overdue. With the launch of iOS 9 in September 2015, Apple introduced picture-in-picture
for the first time. The release of iOS 14 with picture-in-picture support for the iPhone and iPod touch took the firm an extra six years.
The major three broadcast networks are among the almost one hundred US TV networks that YouTube TV delivers live TV, on-demand content, and DVR. For
For $64.99/month, you may purchase unlimited access to the US-only service’s cloud-based DVR service for up to three devices. Android phones, PCs, gaming consoles, and other devices all support YouTube TV.
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Picture-In-Picture Better Late Than Never
It’s important to note that Apple didn’t offer PiP capability for iPads with iOS 13 until the prior year and for iPhones with iOS 14 starting in 2020. But even so,
it’s still unclear why it took Google so long to add PiP compatibility to its YouTube TV app for iOS. It’s better late than never, even though most users would
have anticipated Google to release the well-liked functionality to its iOS apps much sooner than it did.
Nevertheless, the picture-in-picture feature is helpful because it allows users to use other apps while watching films in a small player in the corner of their
screen. Because it improves multitasking, people can watch YouTube while also checking their emails or their Twitter feed. It is a much-desired feature for all
video apps and was a feature that YouTube TV on the iPhone and iPad really needed.
