Desktop computers have an edge over mobile when it comes to multitasking. But that is changing rapidly. Smartphones are catching up with the trend to replace desktop computers, especially for entertainment and watching YouTube videos.
The battle for desktop dominance began with Android phones with split-screen mode, followed by Picture-in-picture (PiP). The latter feature was introduced in Android 8.0 Oreo and allows users to check other apps while continuing to play a video in a small floating window.
Our favorite YouTube app also supports Picture-in-picture mode. However, many users are reporting that PiP is not working for them. No worries. Here we will tell you how to fix it. But before that, let’s understand PiP mode compatibility.
Requirements for YouTube PiP Mode
Your phone needs to meet some criteria to enable YouTube PiP mode. First of all, your Android device must be running Android 8.0 Oreo or later. Nothing below will work.
Second, PiP mode is currently only available in the US. Previously, this feature was limited to YouTube Premium/Red subscriptions, but the feature was made available to all US users in 2018. Only YouTube Premium members can use this feature for videos containing copyrighted music.
Picture-In-Picture not working
If PiP mode still doesn’t work even after meeting the above requirements, make sure the YouTube app is up to date. Then try clearing the cache for the YouTube app and check the picture-in-picture settings.
Here are the steps for both.
1. Clear YouTube App Cache
Step 1: Open Device Settings and go to Apps & notifications/Application manager/Installed apps. Options may vary between devices. Choose one available on your phone.
Step 2: Under All apps, tap YouTube. Then tap Archive.
Step 3: Tap Clear cache and restart your device. Hopefully YouTube’s PiP mode will start working.
Avoid tapping on Clear data/storage as it will log you out of the YouTube app and delete any downloaded YouTube videos. Clearing the cache only deletes temporary files without touching any important data.
2. Activate Picture-In-Picture Mode
Picture-in-picture settings for YouTube are available in two places: device settings and in apps. While PiP is enabled by default, it can sometimes be accidentally disabled. So you need to verify if it is enabled or not.
To do so, follow these steps.
From Device Settings
Step 1: Open Android Settings and go to Apps & notifications. Tap Advanced.
Step 2: Under Advanced, tap Special App Access, then Picture-in-Picture.
Step 3: Here, click on YouTube and turn on the enable picture-in-picture switch.
Alternatively, touch and hold the YouTube icon on your device’s home screen. Then tap the i icon. You will be taken directly to the YouTube App info screen. Here, tap Advanced, then Picture-in-Picture, and turn off the mode.
From the YouTube app
Step 1: Launch the app and tap the profile picture icon.
Step 2: Go to Settings followed by General.
Step 3: Verify if the on/off next to Picture-in-picture is on. If it is off, turn it on.
Interesting facts:
How to use Picture-In-Picture
Now that Picture-in-Picture mode is active, here are some basics:
- While playing a YouTube video, tap the Home button to activate the mode.
- Double-tap the minimized video player to continue in full-screen mode. Alternatively, tap once and tap the full screen icon present in the center.
- Drag the video window to change its position.
- Use the on-screen navigation buttons such as play, pause, next, and back to control the video.
- To close the PiP window, use the onscreen close button with a cross, or drag the window to the bottom of the screen.
Not available in your country
It’s sad that Google has limited this amazing feature to US users only. However, there are two ways to enjoy this mode to the fullest on your phone if you are anywhere in the world.
1. Using a Mobile Browser
Google Chrome supports PiP for all videos. You can take advantage of the same to play YouTube videos in PiP mode.
For that, here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Launch Google Chrome on your Android device and open YouTube.com.
Step 2: Tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner of Chrome and enable Desktop Sites. The page will refresh and the desktop version will open.
Note:
Step 3: Play the video and tap the full screen icon to switch to full screen mode.
Step 3: When the video starts playing in full screen, tap the Home button.
That’s it! The YouTube video will start playing outside of the browser just like picture-in-picture mode. You can open other apps, play a game, or scroll through your Twitter timeline while watching a video. YouTube PiP also works on PC.
2. Use VPN
The above method does not work for the YouTube app because you have to rely on its website. But with a VPN, this works on the YouTube app itself. All you have to do is install a good Android VPN app from the Play Store, set the location to US in it, and use the YouTube app. Then tap the home button while playing the video and the video will play in floating video as expected.
Disable Picture-In-Picture
If for some reason you don’t like the picture-in-picture mode on YouTube, you can turn it off by going through the steps mentioned earlier again and turning it off. The only change is that you now need to turn off the Picture-in-picture conversion.
We want it!
We hope the above solutions have restored YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode on your Android phone. For those outside the US, even though the alternatives allow us to use PiP mode, wouldn’t a native feature be great? We really hope it rolls out to the rest of the world soon. Google, please stop treating us like adopted children.
Next up: How is YouTube Go different from the main app? What features will be missing in the reduced app? Find out in the comparison article below.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
