YouTube is testing picture-in-picture mode for iOS 14, according to users on Twitter.
Apple first launched the picture-in-picture mode on iPad in iOS 9, and Apple will bring it to the iPhone this October with iOS 14. However, YouTube Vanced has never officially supported PiP, though this is likely to change as users have spotted the option when running iOS 14.
Picture in Picture working on iPadOS with the YouTube app.
(But only worked with this live stream, there must be some codec trickery happening behind the scenes for certain playback scenarios). pic.twitter.com/75vG7Ai4ln
— Daniel Yount (@dyountmusic) August 27, 2020
YouTube is reportedly rolling out the new feature slowly across iOS, testing on devices running iOS 14.
Some reports suggest that only select videos are available for picture-in-picture, which could mean that the company is still experimenting and testing it.
YouTube’s picture-in-picture works in the same way as it does for any other app.
Once you’ve found the video you want to watch, you can close the app and watch it in a smaller frame. The video will float over the top of other applications, allowing you to message friends, send an email, or scroll through social media whilst catching up on your content.
However, right now, picture-in-picture mode appears only available for those with YouTube Premium, which means users will need to pay $11.99 per month to access this feature.
With the launch of iOS 14, it will be possible to watch 4K HDR videos from YouTube for the first time, though it’s unknown whether this will be available for everyone or just Premium users.
Google did not confirm whether picture-in-picture will be coming to the YouTube app, but with some users clearly being picked as beta testers, it’s surely only a matter of time before an official launch. YouTube may be holding out for the launch of iOS 14 to roll this out.
Are you excited for picture-in-picture mode? Let us know and check back soon for more.