YouTube Picture in Picture Not Working? 7 Workarounds to Try

Quick ways to troubleshoot YouTube and fix PiP

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: May 4, 2024 Fact Checked

Is your YouTube Picture-in-Picture feature not working? PiP lets you see the video when you open another app or go to your Home page. If you don't see the mini player, you may need to enable it on your device or app permissions. Here's what to do if YouTube Picture in Picture is not working on your iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Turning on PiP on the YouTube App

To enable Picture-in-Picture on iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → General → Picture in Picture → toggle on Start PiP Automatically. On Android, open Settings → Apps → YouTube → App Permissions → Picture-in-Picture.

1

Check Picture-in-Picture Permissions

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Make sure PiP has permission enabled. This feature may have been disabled temporarily. You can check in your device's settings. Do the following:
- iPhone and iPad:
  - Open Settings.
  - Tap General.
  - Tap Picture in Picture.
  - Toggle on Start PiP Automatically.
- Android:
  - Open Settings.
  - Tap Apps.
  - Tap YouTube.
  - Tap App Permissions.
  - Toggle on Picture-in-Picture.

2

Enable Picture-in-Picture.

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Turn on PiP properly. PiP works by playing a YouTube video on the app and then switching to another app or screen. Make sure the app is still open when you switch screens. This won't work if you close the app completely.
- If PiP isn't already enabled in YouTube's settings, do the following.
  - Open YouTube.
  - Tap your profile picture.
  - Tap the cog icon.
  - Tap General.
  - Toggle on Picture-in-picture.

3

Subscribe to YouTube Premium.

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Try using YouTube Premium. If you're in the United States, PiP should work regardless of whether you have a Premium membership. However, certain content, such as music videos, will be blocked from PiP. Try viewing another video to see if it works.
- If you're outside of the United States, PiP can only be used with a Premium membership.^{[1]
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  - A workaround you can try is setting your country to the U.S.

4

Update your device.

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Check for device and app updates. If you're having trouble with the YouTube app, make sure it's updated to the latest version. You can do this by checking the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).
- If the app is updated, make sure your iPhone, iPad, or Android is updated.

5

Clear your cache.

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Clear your YouTube app cache and data. This process will vary depending on your device.
- iPhone and iPad:
  - Press and hold the YouTube app.
  - Tap Delete twice.
  - Redownload the app from the App Store.
  - Restart your device.
- Android:
  - Open Settings.
  - Tap Apps.
  - Tap YouTube.
  - Tap Storage and cache.
  - Tap Clear cache.
  - Restart your device.

6

Use a web browser.

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If PiP isn't working on the mobile app, use the desktop website. YouTube in a web browser also has a Picture-in-Picture option. To enable it, do the following:
- Go to https://www.youtube.com/.
- Navigate to a video.
- Hover over the video.
- Click the PiP icon (bigger square pointing to a smaller square).

7

Send feedback.

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Report the issue to YouTube. If you consistently have problems with the Picture-in-Picture feature, you can send feedback to YouTube. This can be done within the YouTube app.
- Open YouTube.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap the cog icon.
- Tap About.
- Tap Feedback.
- Describe the issue.
- Tap the airplane icon to send it.