YouTube’s picture-in-picture option has returned to the mobile web for iOS 14, after being removed in September for non-premium viewers…
It seems like the YouTube mobile website is now letting people on iOS 14 take advantage of its picture-in-picture function. And, they don’t even have to be paying for a premium subscription. This, according to a recent report by MacRumors, which spotted the change last night. It’s a welcome change, given the company abruptly disabled the ability back in September.
iOS 14 YouTube Picture-in-Picture Mode Returns to the Mobile Website
During this summer, iOS 14 introduced PIP on the iPhone. However, just a few months later, it ceased working on YouTube’s mobile website. (That is, unless viewers were shelling out cash for the premium tier. In fact, YouTube says that background playback is supposed to be exclusive to Premium members.) Now, it looks like everyone running iOS 14 have access to PIP, at least, on Safari.
Although, this might not last long. That’s because YouTube hasn’t made a formal announcement, which means it could be a temporary change. However, more third-party apps for iOS are gaining PIP functionality, including Netflix.