How can I run a YouTube video in Picture in Picture mode on iOS?

apple.stackexchange https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/347585

Question

On iOS, while watching a video in YouTube app, when I go to the Home Screen, the video stops playing. I found no setting to enable it.

I know it is available for Android, but is there a way to do so in iOS? Is there any setting, or a 3rd party app that I can use?

Was it helpful?

Solution

iOS enables PIP easily, there are standard ways to classify all video and unless the web site takes active measures to disable PIP it just works.

Youtube has continually taken steps to disable and remove PIP functionality on iOS, but there are a still few ways to bypass their efforts to control how you consume their video content and watch Picture in Picture:

  1. Bite the bullet and subscribe to Youtube Premium (AKA Youtube Red). If you subscribe to Google Music, it is included. To watch PIP with Youtube Red, swipe down or diagonally across the video to minimize it. Plays in bottom right corner.

  2. Use an app to open and process the links. I found links to two, but can't vouch for either one. Including name of developer in case the location of link changes at some point:

An alternative that needs no payment or extra apps is Safari in split view. This is a part of iOS and is documented at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207582.

How to use Split View:

  1. Open an app. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Dock.

  2. On the Dock, touch & hold the second app that you want to open, then drag it off the dock.

  3. When the app opens in Slide Over, drag the dash icon down.

This question was answered a few years back at How do I play a YouTube video in the background on my iPad? but the solution doesn't work on iOS 10+.

OTHER TIPS

I found no setting to enable it.

This is not possible without a third-party application. YouTube have not added the capablility to iOS. You can suggest it to YouTube but Apple has nothing to do with it.

Is there any setting I can use or third-party app I can use?

There is an app called PiPifier. Link to download. This allows any video on the web to be played in picture-in-picture.

How to use it

When on a YouTube video on the web go to the share menu at the top-right:

share

Then click more:

more

Enable PiPifier:

enable

Then when you are on a YouTube video on the web click run PiPifier:

run

Alternatively, you can subscribe to YouTube red or watch the video in split view:

  1. Make sure YouTube is in the dock

  2. Drag the icon to the right of the screen

  3. When it opens drag down the dash icon at the top

NO DOWNLOADS, NO COST:

You can watch YouTube videos on iOS and iPadOS using picture-in-picture by watching the video at YouTube.com in Safari. Once you’re playing the video, hit the full-screen button. Once it’s in full-screen, there will be a PIP button in the top-left, just to the right of the close button (X).

It does not work as flawlessly as more normal uses of it, in my experience, but it does do the job quite well.

I found a way to get PiP on iPad.

  1. Go to youtube.com in Safari and play a video
  2. Press aA, and select request mobile
  3. Press Full size in youtube (lower left rectangle)
  4. Press the pip icon upper left

done

One more trick for watching YouTube picture-in-picture on iPhone is to play the video in Safari and use the new Safari PIP compatibility available in iOS 14. How To: -> Google search for a video. -> Long-press it and select the 'Open in New Tab' instead of the YouTube app. -> Access full-screen mode. -> Swipe-up to enter PIP mode in iOS 14.

Apparently PIP mode will be available system-wide in iOS 14 and third party apps will be able to implement it too. More details available in this article.

I think what you're asking is how do do it with the YouTube app in iOS.. Not with browsers. There IS a way to do it. Here is a great 1 minute video that shows you how to set up the free workaround that also has some other cool features too.

https://youtu.be/pEpCyL8ky1M

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