iOS Tip: How to play a YouTube video in Picture-in-Picture mode, without being a Premium subscriber?

Picture-in-picture mode lets you watch a video while doing other things on iPhone or iPad. This is a feature compatible with many video applications,as seen thereYouTube is also in the game, but only for Premium subscribers. However, there is a trick to watching a YouTube video with Picture-in-Picture mode activewithout being a YouTube Premium subscriber. Below is how to activate Picture-in-Picture mode with the YouTube app for Premium subscribers, and with our tip for non-subscribers.

When you are a Youtube Premium subscriber, simply use the YouTube app and followour tutorial describing Picture-in-Picture mode in detail. The procedure is classic for the PiP functionality.

When we are notnot a YouTube Premium subscriber, the PiP functionality does not work via the YouTube app. Here is how to get around this limitation:

• Retrieve the URL of the desired YouTube video, via the YouTube app for example

• open YouTube link in Safari

• press the “aA” icon at the top left of the Safari window
  
• choose “Version for computer”: this has the effect of displaying the visible page as if it were opened from a computer
  
• put the video in full screen
• return to the iOS home screen or tap the Picture-in-picture mode icon to the right of the cross at the top left, before returning to the home screen
• the video should appear in windowed mode

Note that according to our tests, this also works in Chrome or Firefox. Just make sure to play the open video in the computer version. In Firefox, this is done like this:

And in Chrome:

Finally, you should know that on iPad, a YouTube video can be played in Picture-in-Picture mode from Safari/Firefox/Chrome without necessarily using the switch to the computer version.

Feel free to consult the following articles to learn everything about Picture-in-Picture mode:

• How to use Picture-in-Picture mode on iOS and iPadOS
• The list of applications compatible with Picture in Picture mode

And findall our iOS tutorials here.

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.