How to Get Picture in Picture on YouTube: Guide + Troubleshooting

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Learn how to do picture in picture on YouTube PC or mobile

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Using an Android
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• Using an iPhone or iPad
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• Using a Computer
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• Troubleshooting
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• Video

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Picture-in-picture allows you to show a YouTube video in a popout player that you can see in the corner of your screen. This can be done on the YouTube app or desktop website. Keep in mind that watching some content in PiP requires a YouTube Premium membership. Here's how to make YouTube picture in picture using your Android, iPhone, iPad, or computer.

Quick Steps

1. Enable Picture in Picture on your device.
2. Open YouTube.
3. Tap your profile, and tap the cog icon.
4. Tap Playback.
5. Toggle on Picture-in-Picture.
6. Play a video, and then minimize the app.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Using an Android

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1. 
   1
   Enable picture-in-picture on your Android. Before you can use picture-in-picture (PiP) on YouTube, you must have it enabled in your phone or tablet's settings. Do the following:

   • Open Settings.
   • Tap Apps & notifications.
   • Tap Advanced.
   • Tap Special app access.
   • Tap Picture-in-picture.
   • Tap YouTube.
   • Tap Allow picture-in-picture.
2. 
   2
   Open your YouTube app settings. In the YouTube app on your Android, tap your profile picture, and then tap the cog icon.

   • You can use picture-in-picture for most content on YouTube. However, if you don't have a YouTube Premium membership, you won't be able to watch certain content, such as music videos.
   • If you live outside of the United States, you must have a Premium membership to use picture-in-picture with any content on YouTube.
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3. 
   3
   Tap Playback. This will be underneath the Video and audio preferences header.
4. 
   4
   Toggle on "Picture-in-picture". This is the last option. The switch should turn blue (on).
5. 
   5
   Play a video. You can browse your home page or use the search bar to find a specific video. Once you find one, tap the play button to start it.
6. 
   6
   Minimize the app. On Android, you can swipe up from the bottom to go to your home screen. You can also switch to a different app, but you'll need to make sure the new app has no active audio. Otherwise, it can pause or disrupt your YouTube video.

   • To exit out of PiP, return to the app. You can also tap the video and then the X.
   • If picture-in-picture on YouTube doesn't work, you may not have YouTube Premium, which allows all types of content in PiP. See our troubleshooting section for more fixes.
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Section 2 of 4:

Using an iPhone or iPad

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1. 
   1
   Enable picture-in-picture on your iPhone or iPad. Before you can use picture-in-picture (PiP) on YouTube, you must have it enabled in your phone or tablet's settings. Do the following:

   • Open the Settings app.
   • Tap General.
   • Tap Picture in picture.
   • Toggle on Start PiP Automatically.
2. 
   2
   Open your YouTube app settings. You can find your settings in the YouTube app by tapping your profile picture, and then tapping the cog icon.

   • You can use picture-in-picture for most content on YouTube. However, if you don't have a YouTube Premium membership, you won't be able to watch certain content, such as music videos.
   • If you live outside of the United States, you must have a Premium membership to use picture-in-picture with any content on YouTube.
3. 
   3
   Tap Playback. This will be underneath the Video and audio preferences header.
4. 
   4
   Toggle on "Picture-in-picture". This is the last option. The switch should turn blue (on).
5. 
   5
   Play a video. You can browse your home page or use the search bar to find a specific video. Once you find one, tap the play button to start it.
6. 
   6
   Minimize the YouTube app. On iPhone and iPad, you can swipe up from the bottom to go to your home screen, or press the home button. You can also switch to a different app, but you'll need to make sure the new app has no active audio. Otherwise, it can pause or disrupt your YouTube video.

   • To exit out of PiP, return to the app. You can also tap the video, and then tap the X.
   • If picture-in-picture doesn't work, you may not have YouTube Premium, which allows all types of content in PiP. See our troubleshooting section for more fixes.
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Section 3 of 4:

Using a Computer

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1. 
   1
   Navigate to the YouTube video. To find a YouTube video, go to youtube.com and type in a search query. Then click on the video to watch.
2. 
   2
   Right-click on the video. This will pull up a menu of options.
3. 
   3
   Right-click a second time on the video. If you are using a touchscreen, do this over the context menu. If you are using a mouse, right-click on the actual video itself. This will pull up your browser's menu of options.
4. 
   4
   Click on "picture-in-picture". The video will disappear and be replaced by text like "Playing in picture-in-picture". This indicates that the video is playing in a separate window on your computer screen.

   • This window will remain visible on top until you close picture-in-picture.
   • You can resize the window anywhere on the screen. Click and drag on the video to move it anywhere on screen. Click on the edge of the window to resize it.
5. 
   5
   Click on the "pause/play" button to pause and play the video. This is located on the picture-in-picture overlay. The video will pause and play as if you used the YouTube controls to pause and play the video.

   • To get the controls on touchscreen, tap on the video.
6. 
   6
   Click on the arrow pointing outward to go back to the video page. This will also close picture-in-picture mode. The video will return back to its original place on the video page.
7. 
   7
   Click on the X to close picture-in-picture mode. This will also pause the video. The video will return back to its original place on the video page. The video page will have to be manually reopened.
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Section 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting

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1. 
   1
   Try a different video. If Picture-in-Picture isn't working in the YouTube app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad, you may be trying to watch a video that isn't supported for free YouTube accounts. Try a different video (such as a personal vlog) to see if the problem still occurs.
2. 
   2
   Subscribe to YouTube Premium. If you live outside the US or want to be able to use Picture in Picture from the YouTube app for all videos, subscribe to YouTube Premium. This membership allows you to watch any YouTube video in Picture-in-Picture mode.

   • If you live outside of the US, you must have a YouTube Premium membership to watch any video on YouTube in Picture-in-Picture mode.
3. 
   3
   Restart your device. If you changed your device's settings, you may need to fully restart it to apply those changes so picture in picture will work.
4. 
   4
   Reinstall the YouTube app. If the issue is with the YouTube app, you can uninstall it completely on some devices, and then download it again from your app store.

   • This also clears the app cache for the YouTube app on iOS devices.
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