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YouTube Premium subscribers can now turn on picture-in-picture on iPhone — here’s how

YouTube Premium subscribers can now turn on picture-in-picture on iPhone — here’s how

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One of YouTube’s experimental features

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

In June, YouTube announced it would be bringing picture-in-picture to iOS. Now, it seems the much-demanded feature is finally available, though perhaps for a limited time only and only for YouTube Premium subscribers currently. Here’s how to get it.

If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, open up a web browser and head to www.youtube.com/new. Scroll down to where “Picture-in-picture on iOS” is listed and click “Try it out.” You’ll be prompted to sign in to your account. Then, while watching a YouTube video, just navigate away from the app using the home button or by swiping up and picture-in-picture will start. Locking your phone screen while watching PiP will pause the video, but you can resume it via the lock screen media controls.

Head to www.youtube.com/new to enable the experimental feature.
Head to www.youtube.com/new to enable the experimental feature.
Image: The Verge

We spotted the news via 9to5Google, which notes that some users have been able to get the feature working on iPads as well as iPhones, but it seems access is a little unpredictable. (Apparently deleting the app might help.) 

YouTube says the feature is “Available until 31 Oct,” and we’re not sure what happens after this date. Fingers’ crossed that will be when YouTube — as promised in June — will be bringing the feature to all users, not just paid ones.