YouTube’s website now supports iOS 14’s picture-in-picture mode once again, after the functionality mysteriously disappeared last month. It can be enabled in both Safari as well as third-party browsers like Chrome or Firefox by expanding a video to play fullscreen, and then tapping the small picture-in-picture icon on the top-left of the interface. Then you’re free to minimize the browser and use other apps while the continuing to watch a video. You can also slide the PiP window to the side if you just want to hear music without the video obstructing the display.
OS-level picture-in-picture support was added as a new feature in iOS 14, but shortly afterwards stopped working on YouTube’s website for iPhone users. It continued to work for users who subscribe to YouTube Premium, perhaps unsurprisingly. It also works for iPad users.
While picture-in-picture now works in browsers, it is not available in the YouTube app itself, where MacRumors notes the feature has never been supported. Playing videos in the background is possible via the YouTube app, but only if you have a YouTube Premium subscription. 9to5Mac reports that the service recently tested a picture-in-picture mode in its iOS app, but no official announcements have been made.
