YouTube Picture in Picture is supposed to keep a video playing in a small floating window after you leave the app. When it does not appear, the cause is usually a disabled PiP setting, a Premium limit, the wrong YouTube account, or an app install issue.
Start with the two required switches, then check the video type and account before moving to updates, reinstalling, and iPhone restrictions.
1. Turn on Picture in Picture on iPhone
Start with the iPhone setting. YouTube’s current iPhone and iPad PiP help requires iOS 15.0 or later and uses Apple’s system Picture in Picture switch.
- 1.Open Settings.
- 2.Tap General.
- 3.Tap Picture in Picture.
- 4.Turn on Start PiP Automatically.
After that switch is on, open YouTube and test the same video again.
2. Enable Picture in Picture inside YouTube
- 1.Open the YouTube app.
- 2.Tap your profile picture.
- 3.Tap Settings.
- 4.Tap Playback.
- 5.Turn on Picture-in-Picture.
YouTube also has its own PiP switch. On iOS 15 and later, it is on by default unless background play has been turned off in the YouTube app. Use Playback for the current YouTube path. Older tutorials that send you to Settings, then General, are using the old layout.
3. Start PiP the right way
PiP does not start from a separate button in YouTube. Start the video first, then leave the app while the video is playing.
On Face ID iPhones, swipe up from the bottom edge. On iPhones with a Home button, press the Home button. When PiP is enabled and the video is eligible, it shrinks into a floating window.
Once the window appears, tap it to show controls. Pinch open to enlarge it, pinch closed to shrink it, drag it to another corner, drag it off the left or right edge to hide it, tap Close to close it, or tap Restore Full Screen to return to YouTube.
4. Check the video type before changing more settings
YouTube’s PiP rules depend on what you are watching: non-music long-form videos and Shorts work without Premium, while music content requires YouTube Premium. Music content includes official music videos, Art Tracks, children’s songs, and user-generated song covers.
For those videos, sign in with a YouTube Premium account before trying PiP. To review membership options, go to youtube.com/premium/inapp. In the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, then Purchases and memberships.
5. Switch to the account with Premium
If PiP works on regular videos but not music videos, check the account currently active in YouTube.
- 1.Open YouTube.
- 2.Tap your profile picture.
- 3.Tap Purchases and memberships.
- 4.Confirm YouTube Premium appears under Memberships.
- 5.To change accounts, tap your profile picture.
- 6.Tap Accounts.
- 7.Select the Google Account or channel with Premium.
For a stale sign-in, tap your profile picture, tap Accounts, then tap Use YouTube signed out. To remove the account from the device, go to Accounts, tap Manage accounts on this device, then tap Remove from this device under that account. Sign back in with the intended Google Account.
6. Restore Premium benefits while traveling
YouTube says Premium and Premium Lite benefits can change outside the country where the subscription was purchased.
When PiP fails only for Premium-only music content during travel, check YouTube Premium availability for your current location and subscription country. If Premium or Premium Lite is not available where you are, those benefits may stop working until you return. Do not use a VPN or other location workarounds to get around YouTube’s availability rules, since misrepresenting your location can lead to cancellation.
7. Update YouTube and iOS
- 1.Open the App Store.
- 2.Tap the My Account button or your photo at the top of the screen.
- 3.Under App Updates, tap Update next to YouTube, or tap Update All.
- 4.Open Settings.
- 5.Tap General.
- 6.Tap Software Update.
- 7.If an update is available, tap Download and Install and follow the onscreen instructions.
Bring the app and iPhone software up to date before reinstalling anything. After updating, close and reopen YouTube. On iPhone X and later, swipe up from the bottom and pause in the middle, swipe to YouTube, then swipe up on the preview. On iPhone SE, iPhone 8, and earlier, double-click the Home button, swipe to YouTube, then swipe up on the preview.
Restart the iPhone next. On many current iPhones, press and hold a volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears, drag the slider, wait for shutdown, then hold the side button to turn it back on.
8. Reinstall YouTube without using fake cache fixes
iPhone does not offer a normal per-app Clear cache button for YouTube, so use Apple’s reinstall paths instead. To delete and redownload YouTube, touch and hold the YouTube app, tap Remove App, tap Delete App, then tap Delete. Open the App Store, search for YouTube, select the official app, and tap Get.
To keep documents and data while reinstalling the app binary, open Settings, tap General, tap iPhone Storage, tap YouTube, then tap Offload App. After that, tap the YouTube app icon with the cloud symbol to reinstall it.
9. Remove restrictions that block YouTube or app changes
- 1.Open Settings.
- 2.Tap Screen Time.
- 3.Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- 4.Open App Store, Media, Web, & Games and review Apps and Web Content.
- 5.Open iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- 6.Set Installing Apps and Deleting Apps to Allow.
Screen Time does not have a PiP switch, but it can block YouTube access, web access, app updates, deleting apps, or reinstalling apps. For a supervised child or teen account, the parent can open Family Link, select the child, tap Controls, tap Content restrictions, tap YouTube, then review the child’s YouTube content level.
On a managed iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then tap VPN & Device Management. If this is your personal iPhone and an unwanted profile is installed, select the profile, tap Delete Profile, follow the onscreen instructions, and restart. If the iPhone belongs to work or school, contact the administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does YouTube PiP work for some videos but not music videos?
YouTube allows PiP for non-music long-form videos and Shorts without Premium. Music content, including official music videos, Art Tracks, children’s songs, and user-generated song covers, requires YouTube Premium.
Where is the YouTube PiP setting on iPhone now?
Open YouTube, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Playback, and turn on Picture-in-Picture. The older YouTube Settings > General path is not the current verified help path.
Do I need to clear the YouTube cache on iPhone to fix PiP?
No. iPhone does not provide a normal per-app Clear cache button for YouTube. Close and reopen YouTube, update it, offload it, or delete and redownload it instead.
What iOS version do I need for YouTube Picture in Picture?
YouTube’s current iPhone and iPad PiP help applies to devices running iOS 15.0 or later.
