Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

YouTube picture-in-picture feature not working all of a sudden

usagora

usagora

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 17, 2017
4,869
4,459
I'm a YouTube Premium subscriber, and the picture-in-picture function (where you can still see the video playing even when you're in other apps or on the home screen) has worked flawlessly until today, and now all of a sudden it just doesn't work. I've tried deleting and re-installing the YouTube app and also force restarting my iPhone, but it's still not working. And Settings > General > Picture in Picture > Start PiP Automatically IS enabled. Whether I am playing the video full screen or not (don't think it matters) in the YouTube app, when I switch to another app or return to the home screen, I can hear the video playing the background, but there is no picture in picture of the video. I don't see anywhere on the screen to indicate it's hidden either (where I could drag it back on the screen)

Anyone else having issues?

iPhone 13 Pro Max iOS 15.4.1 (latest) and YouTube app 17.14.2 (latest).
 
now i see it said:
It’s a relatively new feature. Maybe there’s a problem on Google’s end. Give a few days.
Click to expand...

Just seems strange that it was working just yesterday and there have been no YouTube app updates or iOS updates between then and now, so I can't imagine what has changed.
 
Unfortunately, I discovered for some reason YouTube has disabled the picture-in-picture feature for it's iOS app users, even if they're YouTube Premium subscribers. But I don't see any reason stated. WHY?! Android users still get it. Makes ZERO sense to me.

appleinsider.com

YouTube kills off Picture-in-Picture on iOS app | AppleInsider

YouTube has disabled its experimental picture-in-picture mode for its iOS app, nine months after the trial of the feature commenced.
appleinsider.com appleinsider.com

I've seen some third party apps claiming to be able to allow you to still do it, but I want to know why it's not just natively available anymore. It worked just fine!
 
Mine is still working. I never disabled it before Google removed the options for Premium subscribers.
It still works and I am in iOS 15.5 RC now.
 
Cruncher said:
Mine is still working. I never disabled it before Google removed the options for Premium subscribers.
It still works and I am in iOS 15.5 RC now.
Click to expand...

I never disabled it either (I'm a Premium subscriber as well), but it's not working anymore. I'm on iOS 15.4.1 and YouTube app version 17.18.4
 
PiP is gone for me too since yesterday. Any chance they give it back? 🥺
 
Smici said:
PiP is gone for me too since yesterday. Any chance they give it back? 🥺
Click to expand...

No idea, but what ticks me off is they never said WHY they removed the feature - at least no article I read said why. It worked great. What was the problem??? And my understanding is that Android users still get it, so not sure why iOS users don't.
 
usagora said:
Unfortunately, I discovered for some reason YouTube has disabled the picture-in-picture feature for it's iOS app users, even if they're YouTube Premium subscribers. But I don't see any reason stated. WHY?! Android users still get it. Makes ZERO sense to me.

appleinsider.com

YouTube kills off Picture-in-Picture on iOS app | AppleInsider

YouTube has disabled its experimental picture-in-picture mode for its iOS app, nine months after the trial of the feature commenced.
appleinsider.com appleinsider.com

I've seen some third party apps claiming to be able to allow you to still do it, but I want to know why it's not just natively available anymore. It worked just fine!
Click to expand...

This is why I am no longer a fan of any Google products, lack of transparency.
 
If I remember correctly, I believe for even iOS it was in a beta period. Pretty horrible that even premium subscribers can't get a feature that is now native to iOS, any other streaming service I can think of PiP works fine.
 
jav6454 said:
Yeah, it was a "Premium"-onl y feature and beta. Reason why I'll stick to regular YT.
Click to expand...

Actually, for a while it was also available to everyone, but now to nobody (on iOS). Premium still worth it to me, though, for background play and no ads (ad-blockers don't work in the YouTube app on iOS or smart TVs/DVD players).
 
jav6454 said:
Meh, I'll survive the ads on the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Some shows I watched literally had an ad every couple of minutes. It was basically unusable for those. But background play is also a major thing for me.
 
Last edited:
Spetsgruppa said:
just tested Youtube on my 12 Pro Max.PIP still works.
Click to expand...

Not sure how that's possible unless they're rolling it back in stages or your app isn't up to date. I promise you it doesn't work on my 13 Pro Max. Your PiP days are numbered, so enjoy it while you can.
 
usagora said:
Not sure how that's possible unless they're rolling it back in stages or your app isn't up to date. I promise you it doesn't work on my 13 Pro Max. Your PiP days are numbered, so enjoy it while you can.
Click to expand...
erm...i remembered when the Youtube Update page says that the PIP will be disabled OR Youtube had a notification saying that PIP is going to be removed. I honestly dont care because i dont really use PIP for Youtube. And my Youtube is up to date. But it stinks for people who actually use PIP for Youtube and its removed for them.
 
Spetsgruppa said:
erm...i remembered when the Youtube Update page says that the PIP will be disabled OR Youtube had a notification saying that PIP is going to be removed.
Click to expand...

Did you mean you DON'T remember that or you DO remember that? The way you said that has me confused (because you said "OR" not "AND").
 
It works for me on a very select number of videos, but the vast majority it no longer works. Shame. Not sure why the ones that work, still work. Maybe a glitch.
 
Cruncher said:
Now since a few days it is also not working anymore for me.
Click to expand...

aldo82 said:
It works for me on a very select number of videos, but the vast majority it no longer works. Shame. Not sure why the ones that work, still work. Maybe a glitch.
Click to expand...

As of about 2 days ago, it started working again for me on every video and still does (just tried again). Go figure. I sure hope it stays this time!

YouTube for iOS is now at version 17.26.2 (was 17.14.2 when I started the thread back in April).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back