YouTube picture-in-picture (PiP) feature coming to iOS 14. Google is preparing for a major YouTube update that allows “picture-in-picture” for iOS 14 and this means you will be able to use other apps whilst watching a video.
The PiP feature came to the iPad with iOS 9 and this year it reaches all iPhones with iOS 14. It allows us to put a video in a floating window and continue using the device for whatever you want. Of course, to use this function the app must be compatible, although, fortunately any video played from Safari allows you to use this option already. YouTube does not support this function at the moment. But a small group of users is already testing the PiP function in the official YouTube app, which could be launched very soon as an update.
Picture-in-Picture on iOS: A premium only feature
Unfortunately, YouTube limits the playing of videos in the background on iOS. Only YouTube Premium subscribers can make use of it. Which means that picture in picture function will also be restricted to users who pay for the premium. Although it is a first step and in the future there could be changes.
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There are already several users who have shown their surprise at being able to try this function, although it seems that at the moment it is restricted to live videos. The picture in picture function works on YouTube just like any other app. We open the video and when we exit the application it stays in a small floating window, we can resize this window, hide it on one side of the screen, stop playing the video or return to the app directly. It is undoubtedly a very interesting function, especially now that iPhones have such large screens.
At the moment everything is still in a trial period, Google has not officially announced it. So there is not much more information.
This is not the only novelty related to YouTube and iOS 14. All iPhone, iPad or Apple TV that has iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and tvOS 14 will also be able to watch videos in 4K HDR resolution from the official YouTube application for the first time, as Apple has included support for Google’s VP9 codec in its new operating systems this year.
