Let’s admit it! Watching YouTube videos on iPhone in PiP mode has been something most of us have wanted for a long time. Unfortunately, Google has kept this popular feature out of reach of iOS users, including premium subscribers, for the best known reasons. However, the long wait is over for all YouTube Premium users as they can now use YouTube picture-in-picture (PiP) mode on iPhone. But what about iOS users who are not premium YouTube subscribers? Don’t worry, there are several reliable tricks to enable YouTube PiP mode on your iPhone for free. So let’s check them out.
Watch YouTube Videos in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode on iPhone (2021)
Earlier this year in June, Google announced that it would offer PiP support for YouTube Premium members on iOS. Instead of delaying the broadcast, picture-in-picture mode is now testable for Premium subscribers on iPhone. However, there is a catch. iOS users can: try the experimental picture-in-picture (PiP) feature until October 31st only. So if you have a YouTube Premium subscription, you can currently use YouTube PiP mode on your iOS device.
Unfortunately, freemium YouTubers have been left out. But don’t worry, there are two useful workarounds you can use to watch YouTube videos on your iPhone in PiP mode. I’ve been using the Safari trick and Siri Shortcut to use YouTube PiP mode on my iOS device for a long time. They (more or less) fulfilled my mission and allowed me to watch YouTube in picture-in-picture mode on my iPhone without any issues. And they won’t disappoint you either. With that in mind, let’s jump right in.
Enable and use YouTube Picture-in-Picture (PiP) on iPhone
1. a browser of your choice and per youtube.com/new. Make sure you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber and signed in to your Google account.
2. Now, “picture-in-picture on iOSClick on the ” section and the blue “Try” button. This feature will be enabled in your YouTube app on iOS.
3. Next, go to your iPhone, open the YouTube app, and start watching videos.
4. Next, press the home button (on iPhone SE2 or older iPhones) or swipe up from the bottom (iPhones with Face ID) to go to the home screen and enable YouTube PiP on your device. You will see that the YouTube video will continue to play in a mini player (picture-in-picture mode) on your iPhone’s home screen.
Now you can pinch the PiP window to make it bigger or smaller and even send it to any screen corner. You can also flick the overlay off the edge of the screen to hear only the background sound while surfing Twitter or taking notes. Here’s how it works:
note: YouTube PiP mode is currently an experimental feature so don’t expect it to run smoothly. Moreover, Note that locking your iPhone screen while watching YouTube videos in PiP mode will pause the video. Therefore, you will need to resume the video using the lock screen media controls. Google has confirmed that it is working to fix this issue.
Watch YouTube Videos on iPhone in PiP Mode via Safari
If you no longer want to purchase a Youtube Premium subscription, you can watch YouTube videos in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode via Safari on your iPhone. I tried this nifty workaround on my iPhone running iOS 15 and it worked pretty well for me. Follow the steps below to learn how it works:
- Start Safari Go to youtube.com from your iPhone (website link).
2. Tap now. text icon (aA) in the address URL bar and Request Desktop Website option from the context menu.
3. Next, select a video to start playing and then go to full screen mode. Later, Tap the PiP mode icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
4. Now the video will start playing in a mini player. Now you can swipe up from bottom or press home button To minimize Safari and continue watching your favorite YouTube video on your iPhone in PiP mode.
Sometimes it is better to show some things in video format for better understanding. That’s why I’ve included this demo to show you that YouTube PiP mod is at work. The best part about this workaround is that it works on both iPhone and iPad. The currently tested YouTube picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is finicky and doesn’t work well on the iPad.
Watch YouTube in Picture-in-Picture Mode Using Siri Shortcut
While the process of creating a Siri shortcut for YouTube PiP mode is a bit tedious, the result is pretty sweet. After creating the YouTube PiP mode shortcut, you can easily play any video on your iPhone in picture-in-picture mode.
- start Shortcuts app Tap and on your iPhone. “+” button in the upper right corner of the screen.
2. Now, Add Action Press the button and select the “Web” option.
3. Then, “Run JavaScript on Web PageThe ” option under the Safari section.
4. Next, tap . Web page option next to run the JavaScript, and choose Shortcut Entry option in the drop-down menu.
5. What you need to do now remove JavaScript paste what appears and given in the shortcut window under. Later, tap the ellipse icon (three dots) in the upper right corner of the screen.
let v = document.querySelector(‘video’); v.addEventListener(‘webkitpresentationmodechanged’, (e)=>e.stopPropagation(), true); setTimeout(()=>v.webkitSetPresentationMode(‘picture-in-picture’), 3000); completion()
6. Name your shortcut. To keep things simple, I’ll name it “YouTube PiP” on my iPhone.
7. Also, “Show on Share Page” toggle then tap on “Share Page Types”.
8. Tap on “select none” in the upper right corner and only Safari web pages.
9. Finally, tap on . back button in the upper left corner of the screen. Next, tap on Completed button in the upper right corner. Make sure you tap on “.Completed” again to save the new shortcut.
10. After creating the shortcut, Safari and go to youtube.com (website link). After that, play any YouTube video. And while the video is playing, Share button.
11. Now, YouTube PiP shortcut on the share page. You may get a pop-up asking you to give YouTube PiP access to youtube.com. Make sure you tap on it. To let to continue.
This much! Your YouTube video will start playing in PiP mode on your iPhone. Now go ahead and enjoy the video while surfing Twitter or chatting with your friends.
Play YouTube Videos on iPhone in PiP Mode for Free
Please! This is how you can get YouTube PiP mod on your iPhone and iPad even if you are not a YouTube Premium subscriber. As I said above, both the Safari trick and the Siri shortcut hack work fine. However, if you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, you don’t have to worry about anything. Join the trial and test the YouTube PiP mode on your iPhone until its official launch in the coming months. However, do you have any questions or feedback to share? If yes, let us know in the comments section below.
