YouTube now brings picture-in-picture mode for all mobile users: Here’s what it means
Last Updated: 2026-04-30 11:59:22
YouTube wants more people to pay for its premium service but the platform is surprisingly giving one of the paid features for free to everyone. Picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is not exactly the same as background mode but still YouTube will let you stream some content in this version which allows you to use other apps at the same time. YouTube says the feature will work on Android and iOS for users globally and it will be free.
PiP on YouTube: How it works
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PiP is a useful option wherein the YouTube interface sits in the corner of your phone’s screen and does not disturb the use of other apps. We have seen this work across platforms like Swiggy and even Google Meet on mobile, and YouTube making PiP open to everyone is definitely a change in the right direction.
YouTube Premium users have got this access for a while, and soon the free users can also enable it for their devices by using these steps:
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- Open YouTube
- Start playing a video
- Exit the YouTube app on mobile
- You will see the video playing in a small player on the screen
- YouTube lets you resize the player and even control the playback
The platform might be making the PiP mode free for everyone but the content that you can use this mode on is limited to longform videos and non-music content. This means to play music in the PiP mode you still need the regular YouTube Premium version. The platform has said the new free feature will be rolling out in the coming months.
YouTube is also entering the search arena with a big dose of AI and letting you get answers in text, videos and even short content. Search has been Google’s mainstay for years but with the changing demands from users and most looking for interactive content, YouTube could be Google’s next-gen search model that evolves with the AI element.
It is called Ask YouTube and the platform is testing the feature in its home region with the Premium subscribers with the non-Premium users also expected to be given the option at a later date.