YouTube's Picture-in-Picture Goes Global for Free, but There's Still an Annoying Catch

YouTube’s Picture-in-Picture Goes Global for Free, but There’s Still an Annoying Catch

1 Min Read

A significant consideration. By Stan Schroeder on April 30, 2026.

One of the main attractions of YouTube’s Premium subscriptions is picture-in-picture, allowing users to watch a video in a smaller, floating window while using other apps. In the U.S., picture-in-picture is also available to Premium Lite and non-subscribers. YouTube now plans to roll out this feature globally for all iOS and Android users.

However, this feature will only apply to longform, non-music videos for Premium Lite and Free users. Only Premium subscribers can use picture-in-picture for music content.

For users outside the U.S., this feature will soon be available. To activate picture-in-picture on your phone: If using an iPhone, swipe up while watching a longform video. For Android, press the home button. Enable this feature in settings if needed. YouTube aims to make this available worldwide soon.

Topics: Apps & Software, YouTube.

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