Fix YouTube Picture in Picture (PIP) Not Working on iPhone
Experiencing difficulties with YouTube Picture in Picture on your iPhone? Picture in Picture mode is a convenient feature that allows you to watch videos while multitasking on your device. It is available in various content streaming apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube.
Initially introduced by Android in the Android 8 update and later adopted by Apple with iOS 8, Picture in Picture mode became a popular feature for iPhone and iPad apps. However, YouTube was relatively late in implementing this feature.
Although YouTube now supports Picture in Picture for iPhones, some users have encountered issues with this functionality on the YouTube app. If you have been facing problems with the Picture in Picture feature, this article will provide solutions to help you resolve them.
Contents
- 1 Fix YouTube Picture in Picture PIP Not Working on iPhone/iPad
- 2 Restart iPhone
- 3 Ensure You Have YouTube Premium
- 4 Update YouTube App
- 5 Update iOS VersionÂ
- 6 Enable Picture In Picture Mode On YouTube
- 7 Reinstall YouTube App
- 8 Use Shortcut To Access YouTube Picture In Picture
- 9 Use YouTube In Browser
- 10 Final Words
Fix YouTube Picture in Picture PIP Not Working on iPhone/iPad
In this article, we’ll look at how to fix YouTube Picture in Picture not working on iPhone and iPad.
Restart iPhone
If you were previously able to use YouTube Picture in Picture without any problems but are now experiencing difficulties, it could be due to a bug on your device. Restarting your iPhone is a common solution that often resolves such issues. Simply restart your phone and then open the YouTube app again. Test the Picture in Picture mode to see if the problem persists.
Ensure You Have YouTube Premium
To utilize the YouTube Picture in Picture feature, it is necessary to have a YouTube Premium subscription. Certain features on YouTube, including Picture-in-Picture mode, are exclusively available to YouTube Premium users. If you do not have a YouTube Premium subscription, you will be unable to use this feature. Therefore, ensure that you are a YouTube Premium member before proceeding with the following steps.
Update YouTube App
Make sure that you have the latest version of the YouTube app installed on your iPhone to ensure the proper functioning of Picture in Picture mode. If you haven’t updated the YouTube app to the latest version, you may encounter issues with this feature. Follow the steps below to update the app:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Tap on your Profile icon.
- Scroll down and find the “Available Updates” section.
- If there is an update available for the YouTube app, it will be listed here. Tap on the “Update” button next to YouTube to update the app.
- Once the update is complete, check if YouTube Picture in Picture mode is working on your iPhone.
Update iOS VersionÂ
Make sure that your iPhone is running on iOS 14 or a higher version to utilize YouTube Picture in Picture mode. Apple introduced this feature in iOS 14, so if your iPhone has an earlier iOS version, such as iOS 13 or below, you won’t have access to this feature. Follow the steps below to update your iOS:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on “General” and then select “Software Update.”
- Any available updates will be displayed on this screen. If multiple updates are available, choose the one you wish to install on your device.
- Tap on “Download and Install” to initiate the update installation process.
Ensure that you have a stable internet connection as the update may require a significant amount of data to be downloaded. Once the update is successfully installed, you should be able to use YouTube Picture in Picture mode on your iPhone.
Enable Picture In Picture Mode On YouTube
If YouTube Picture-in-Picture is not functioning, it might be because you haven’t enabled this feature. To use Picture-in-Picture on YouTube, you need to enable it in the app’s settings. Follow the steps below to enable Picture-in-Picture:
- Open the YouTube app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the profile icon located at the top right corner.
- From the menu that appears, select “Settings.”
- In the Settings menu, tap on “General.”
- Locate the toggle switch for “Picture-in-Picture” and turn it on to enable this feature.
Once you have enabled Picture-in-Picture, you should be able to use the feature while watching videos on YouTube.
Reinstall YouTube App
If you’re experiencing issues with YouTube Picture-in-Picture, it could be due to a bug in the YouTube app. Reinstalling the app can help resolve any temporary bugs you may encounter. Follow the steps below to reinstall the YouTube app:
- Tap and hold the YouTube app icon on your iPhone.
- Tap on the “Delete” or “Remove” icon when it appears.
- Confirm the deletion of the YouTube app from your device.
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Search for “YouTube” and tap on the first option that appears.
- Install the YouTube app on your device.
- Open the YouTube app and check if you can now use YouTube Picture-in-Picture mode.
Reinstalling the YouTube app should clear any bugs and allow you to use the Picture-in-Picture mode on YouTube.
Use Shortcut To Access YouTube Picture In Picture
You can also create a shortcut to enable YouTube Picture-in-Picture mode. Please note that this method works for YouTube on Safari and not the YouTube app. Follow the steps below to create the shortcut:
- Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the “+” button located at the top right corner.
- Select “Add Action” and then choose “Web”.
- Now, tap on “Run JavaScript on Web Page”.
- Tap on “Web Page” and then select “Shortcut Input”.
- Remove any existing JavaScript code and enter the following code:
javascriptCopy codelet v = document.querySelector('video');
v.addEventListener('webkitpresentationmodechanged', (e) => e.stopPropagation(), true);
setTimeout(() => v.webkitSetPresentationMode('picture-in-picture'), 3000);
completion();
- Tap on the three-dot icon and name the shortcut as “YTPiP”.
- Enable the toggle for “Show in Share Sheet” under the name field.
- Tap on “Share Sheet Types” and select “Anything”.
- Deselect all the options except for “Safari Web Pages”.
- Tap the back button to return to the previous page (Details page), and tap on “Done”.
- Now, open the Safari app and navigate to the YouTube website.
- Play a video on YouTube.
- Tap on the Share button at the bottom and then select the “YTPiP” shortcut.
- You will be prompted to allow the popup for the shortcut to access YouTube; tap on “Allow”.
- This will open YouTube in a Mini Window using Picture-in-Picture mode.
Note: Please make sure to manually type the JavaScript code mentioned above. Copy-pasting the code may prevent this feature from working properly.
Use YouTube In Browser
If YouTube Picture-in-Picture mode is not working, you can try opening YouTube in your browser instead. You have two options: either use the shortcut method mentioned in this article or manually open YouTube in your browser. Follow the steps below:
- Open Safari or Google Chrome on your iPhone.
- Go to the YouTube website. If you haven’t already, sign into your YouTube account that has YouTube Premium membership.
- Rotate your device to landscape mode while playing a video.
- After that, minimize the browser, and you will see YouTube appearing in a floating window, allowing you to use Picture-in-Picture mode.
Final Words
YouTube is a leading video streaming service and the second-largest search engine in the world, after Google. Features like Picture-in-Picture greatly enhance the user experience within the YouTube app. If you are facing issues with YouTube Picture-in-Picture not working, this article provides helpful solutions to fix the problem. You can follow the steps outlined above in this article to troubleshoot and resolve the YouTube Picture-in-Picture issue.