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

YouTube Website's Picture-in-Picture Works Again in iOS 14.5 Beta

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,142
38,921


YouTube's website appears to support picture-in-picture (PiP) again in the latest iOS 14.5 beta for iPhone, although how long it will continue to work for is anybody's guess.

YouTube-Picture-In-Picture-Fixed.jpg

Tests show it works in Safari as well as third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox by expanding a video to play fullscreen, and then tapping the small picture-in-picture icon in the top-left of the interface.

Then you can minimize the browser and use other apps while continuing to watch the video in a frame that can be moved around the screen or slid out of sight if you just want to listen to the audio.

Apple added PiP support to the iPhone with the release of iOS 14, which allowed users to watch videos on YouTube's website as well as on a host of other websites in the miniaturized format.

Following the release of iOS 14 in September, YouTube moved quickly to nix the ability to watch videos in PiP mode on its website unless the user logged in with a YouTube Premium subscription. In early October, however, YouTube mysteriously restored PiP support for videos on its website.

Then, only days later, support once again vanished.


It's not clear what has caused YouTube website PiP support to be reinstated in the latest iOS 14.5 beta, but it's likely that changes in Apple's system-level code has broken whatever method YouTube implemented on its website to make the feature non-functional.

If that's the case, there's good reason to believe that YouTube will move to disable the support yet again.

YouTube's native app has never supported PiP for any of its users even though iOS 14 has offered the capability for some time. There have been reports that YouTube has been testing this feature, but there have been no announcements.

Article Link: YouTube Website's Picture-in-Picture Works Again in iOS 14.5 Beta
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/10/youtube-site-picture-in-picture-ios-14-5-beta/
Last edited:
Such a ridiculous constraint.

You can watch Youtube in a window while doing other stuff on any MacOS or Windows computer – why that should not be possible on iOS makes no sense to me. I assume Youtubes ad-revenue doesn't suffer no matter the size I'm viewing Youtube in. And Youtube Premium should really be attractive for other more substantial reasons than PiP on iOS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iEnvy, GinjaFox, Mr. Rod and 14 others
I bet google will find a way to block it again, had to use this work around by creating a shortcut and that has been working for months and still works great. So if google block it again I'll use the work around again.

www.macrumors.com

iOS 14: Picture in Picture Not Working in YouTube? Here's a Workaround

In iOS 14, Apple added a Picture in Picture mode on iPhone that lets you watch a video in a small screen on your device while you continue to do...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: rjp1, GinjaFox, Osamede and 1 other person
flottenheimer said:
Such a ridiculous constraint.

You can watch Youtube in a window while doing other stuff on any MacOS or Windows computer – why that should not be possible on iOS makes no sense to me. I assume Youtubes ad-revenue doesn't suffer no matter the size I'm viewing Youtube in. And Youtube Premium should really be attractive for other more substantial reasons than PiP on iOS.
Click to expand...
Premium doesn't enable PiP, just background play.

To be honest, I bit the bullet because I got so tired of wasting 20% of my time watching or listening to ads. Some of the original content's decent too.
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
Reactions: tranceking26, Tech for Kings, blizzerand and 4 others
The idiocy surrounding this is the fact Google constantly tout their "Premium" product, yet it's unavailable in my country so impossible to buy when I try.

Ultimately, it's a stupid model and the easiest way (and one of my favourite tools), is Dynamo on my Mac.
 
  • Like
Reactions: centauratlas
It is getting pretty petty and tiring to deal with YT.

Their app is still way too limited a d user unfriendly.

Restictions as to what browser can see what quality of content. Always defaulting to 360p and cc off, no matter what ... and taking half a dozen tries to get both of those on. Max of 720p. Killing access for older devices and browsers. Recently a good number of issues like no more skip buttons on ads, so you can get stuck with 2-3-5 min intro ads. Then a minuscule navigation bar that doesn’t let you skip.

You’d think Google would be happy for more people to view things in a way they want, while they get paid to serve ads.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDJim, Razorpit, FightTheFuture and 1 other person
And pip works effortlessly for the YouTube and YoutubeTV apps on android. Even though there is the web browser workaround for YouTube on iOS, YouTube tv as far as I know doesn’t load in an iOS web browser, you have to use the app. So no pip for YouTube tv on iOS.

Google clearly has some bias against making pip work on iOS. But why though? I mean they’ve given us 4K video on our iPhones (many android phones aren’t enabled to load 4K YouTube), so why not also give us pip?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GinjaFox
flottenheimer said:
Such a ridiculous constraint.

You can watch Youtube in a window while doing other stuff on any MacOS or Windows computer – why that should not be possible on iOS makes no sense to me. I assume Youtubes ad-revenue doesn't suffer no matter the size I'm viewing Youtube in. And Youtube Premium should really be attractive for other more substantial reasons than PiP on iOS.
Click to expand...
What’s worse is that on a Samsung device, a free user can use PiP through the default YouTube app; there’s not even a need to go to the website. But on an iOS device, paying users who have YouTube Red don’t get that feature on the app; we have to go to the site.

They’ve created a worse user experience all around, no matter what, and I don’t understand why.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GinjaFox, erniefairchild1 and centauratlas
I'm just glad YouTube still works on iOS at this point. There hasn't been an update since before the Holidays, and as quickly as things seem to break, one might have expected an update by now, or less stability of some kind. In fact, none of the Google apps have been updated. I do realize there has been that privacy battle going on, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. I do wonder though, if we want reliable Google support going forward if switching to android is what needs to happen.
 
It's moments like this when I'm jealous of people with Android phones and YouTube Vanced. Don't get me wrong, I'm a YTPremium subscriber, but it's ridiculous that I still can't use PiP using their app, but it works everywhere else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Petran Petran
I have YouTube premium on iOS and it still doesn't allow Pip.. HOWEVER.. I do remember it working during the middle of last year. Did anyone else try that? it worked perfectly on the app for about a week and then poof.. gone. Like they were testing (teasing) it.
 
I realised a few days ago that videos are playing again. The playback controls looked different as well - thinner and taller (Safari, iOS). I thought to myself either Apple fixed something in this beta or Google did. Make hay while the sun shines. I hope it keeps shining.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Secondempire
falkon-engine said:
And pip works effortlessly for the YouTube and YoutubeTV apps on android. Even though there is the web browser workaround for YouTube on iOS, YouTube tv as far as I know doesn’t load in an iOS web browser, you have to use the app. So no pip for YouTube tv on iOS.

Google clearly has some bias against making pip work on iOS. But why though? I mean they’ve given us 4K video on our iPhones (many android phones aren’t enabled to load 4K YouTube), so why not also give us pip?
Click to expand...
You’re talking about the company who wouldn’t provide 3D Google Maps with turn-by-turn on iPhone until Apple made Maps themselves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDJim and ikjadoon
icerabbit said:
It is getting pretty petty and tiring to deal with YT.

Their app is still way too limited a d user unfriendly.

Restictions as to what browser can see what quality of content. Always defaulting to 360p and cc off, no matter what ... and taking half a dozen tries to get both of those on. Max of 720p. Killing access for older devices and browsers. Recently a good number of issues like no more skip buttons on ads, so you can get stuck with 2-3-5 min intro ads. Then a minuscule navigation bar that doesn’t let you skip.

You’d think Google would be happy for more people to view things in a way they want, while they get paid to serve ads.
Click to expand...
It is tiring.

but, that business model of making things frustrating and offering a magical payment to just make it all go away is a legitimate one.

easy out:
1. YouTube app that you can't install ad blocker on and they get to track you. They get paid
2. YT premium for monthly fee. They get paid.
3. AdBlocker but you're stuck at 720p max, and it glitches out a lot.

the YouTube is gonna getchu. YouTube is gonna getchu, the YouTube is gonna get youuuu.... tonight. (Some song from the 80's)
 
  • Like
Reactions: max2 and CJ Dorschel
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