I love using YouTube for long-form content like video essays and vlogs. However, sometimes I want to multitask while I dive down a rabbit hole about some weird internet culture trend or crazy fandom theory.
Previously, I didn’t think this was possible without purchasing a YouTube Premium subscription. However, I accidentally came across a hack while testing something for another article (the work never stops). Luckily, this is one of the best accidental discoveries I’ve made, and very easy to do.
How to Watch a YouTube Video via Picture-in-Picture
If you’ve never heard of picture-in-picture (PiP) before, it’s a technical term for trimming down a YouTube video so you can access other parts of the video. screen of your phone.
Although some smartphones like the iPhone have this capability with YouTube if you watch through a browser such as Safari, you may want to stay in the YouTube app due to its more simplified interface.
Fortunately, YouTube offers this feature. The trap ? This is exclusive to those in the United States.
If you’re a US reader, simply enable PiP mode in your settings. When watching a video, exit the app (perhaps by clicking your Home button on Android), then the video will automatically be minimized.
But what about the rest of us idiots in the UK and outside the US?
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Can you use YouTube picture-in-picture in UK?
Yes, you can use YouTube PiP in the UK – all you need is a VPN.
It means virtual private network. This software redirects your IP address so that you can browse the Internet as if you were from another country. However, there are many other reasons why you might want to use a VPN.
For this tutorial, I used NordVPN, Tech Advisor’s top-rated provider. However, there are many other options that we as a team have tried and tested.
It’s cheaper than subscribing to YouTube Premium and will also give you many other benefits, such as the ability to watch Netflix US.
Once you’ve chosen your VPN, here’s what you need to do:
- If YouTube is open, close the app
- Connect to a US server on your VPN
- Open the YouTube app, click on the “You” icon at the bottom right
- Click the gear icon at the top right
- Tap “General,” then turn on “Picture-in-picture mode” if it’s not turned on.
- Find the video you want and click Play
- Exit the app and the video should be minimized
- Pinch the video to adjust the size or move it around your screen
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
In my experience, you must always close a video (even if you’re watching) for this method to work.
If you want to return to the app after you’ve enabled PiP, click on the video once, then tap the Maximize icon in the center of the video. I also didn’t need to enable the PiP setting in the app – it was enabled by default.
I used a OnePlus 12 running Android 14 for this hack, but according to Google it should also work on iPhone and iPad.
As I mentioned earlier, I came across this while using my phone for another streaming guide and went to leave YouTube. I was quite surprised when I saw the PiP feature and did some digging. Naturally, I just had to share my findings with TA readers.
This method is perfect for long videos, like Jenny Nicholson’s viral Star Wars Hotel video essay. You can also learn how to trim a YouTube video on iPhone to play audio only when your screen is locked.
