All US iOS YouTube users will get picture-in-picture support soon

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2021
YouTube says it is rolling out support for iOS 14 picture-in-picture mode to Premium members, with a launch to all U.S. iOS users planned for the future.

Credit: Google
Credit: Google


"Picture-in-Picture (PiP) allows users to watch YouTube videos in a small mini player while simultaneously browsing outside of the YouTube app on their mobile device," YouTube said in a statement. "We're starting to roll out PiP for YouTube Premium members on iOS and plan to launch PiP for all US iOS users as well."

In other words, picture-in-picture support will start appearing as a feature for YouTube Premium members globally. In the future, YouTube will add PiP support to its iOS app for all users in the U.S. -- not just paid ones.

YouTube confirmed the rollout in a statement toto AppleInsider. Earlier on Friday, MacRumors was the first to report the statement.

Picture-in-picture debuted in iOS 14 back in 2020, though YouTube support has been sporadic. For example, YouTube enabled, disabled, and then re-enabled PiP several times in 2020.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    So it’s going to be a premium feature but it’s also going to be a free feature? Considering it’s baked in Apple API goodness I guess that’s…generous?

    Also, is it new feature on AI to have auto-play videos that cover the content and cannot be closed?


    rcfa
  • Reply 2 of 20
    mobirdmobird Posts: 753member
    I guess mentioning that they were now going to use Apple's API'S on the TV did not happen?...
    lolliver
  • Reply 3 of 20
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    So it’s going to be a premium feature but it’s also going to be a free feature? Considering it’s baked in Apple API goodness I guess that’s…generous?

    Also, is it new feature on AI to have auto-play videos that cover the content and cannot be closed?


    The unrelated AI autoplay videos on this site are beyond obnoxious. Ads don’t bother me, but these do. iOS Safari Extensions can’t come soon enough :)
    edited June 2021 StrangeDaysapplguyrcfaelijahg
  • Reply 4 of 20
    gerardgerard Posts: 83member
    I’m nervous to mention exactly how I get the pip to work for YouTube. Just putting it out there; It happened by a fluke the first time and I have been able to replicate it pretty much on demand. Hopefully their update won’t fix the bug. 
  • Reply 5 of 20
    fruitstandninjafruitstandninja Posts: 104member
    gerard said:
    I’m nervous to mention exactly how I get the pip to work for YouTube. Just putting it out there; It happened by a fluke the first time and I have been able to replicate it pretty much on demand. Hopefully their update won’t fix the bug. 
    Just mention it. It will be here soon enough but until it is I would love a workaround. 
    sdw2001Beatslolliver
  • Reply 6 of 20
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    Oh! Praise the Gods of YouTube for implementing a feature other apps have been using for at least 8 months.  The lack of support for this feature is absolutely mind boggling to me. I will very occasionally use Rumble.  Not only does it support the feature, but it will even play the audio when the phone screen is off.  And Rumble is basically a startup compared to the behemoth that is YouTube/Google/Alphabet.   I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    Beatsmcdavercfa
  • Reply 7 of 20
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    mobird said:
    I guess mentioning that they were now going to use Apple's API'S on the TV did not happen?...
    I wish. I have no confidence that the supposed "best & brightest" software engineers in the industry are going to abandon their crummy console port, and go back to an actual native app for the platform its own. These dudes are just the "Write once, run anywhere!" Java dudes of yesteryear. It was crud then, it's crud now.
    lolliver
  • Reply 8 of 20
    patchythepiratepatchythepirate Posts: 1,254member
    I already have this feature, use it all the time.. by using youtube on safari.

    I don't trust google enough to download their apps on my phone.
    fastasleepDogperson
  • Reply 9 of 20
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Largely pointless on an iPhone.  I’d rather Google used the 1st-party AV Player so it continues the sound after I switch away from the App and has standard media controls/navigation rather than random crap.
  • Reply 10 of 20
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    sdw2001 said:
    I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    You know YouTube was only around for a year before Google bought it, right? It's been 15 years.
    sdw2001uraharaStrangeDays
  • Reply 11 of 20
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member
    Fuck YouTube - I'm not paying for "Premium" for a feature that is included with the OS!
    lolliver
  • Reply 12 of 20
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,759member
    There is a shortcut you can get/make which shows in the share sheet, and when pressed it blocks the page's PIP breaking Javascript. This crap is reminiscent of the "accidental" workaround a few years back to store third party cookies in Safari despite them being off. And the "accidental" collection of passwords from WiFi networks. Happily there's no way of Google blocking the javascript hack. Also, f*ck you Google for doing such nefarious things to try and get people to pay premium.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    sgordonsgordon Posts: 53member
    Ridiculous it should be supported now and it should be for all users come on this is ridiculous YouTube and no I’m not paying for basic MVP features 
  • Reply 14 of 20
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    fastasleep said:
    sdw2001 said:
    I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    You know YouTube was only around for a year before Google bought it, right? It's been 15 years.
    Good point.  They’ve still destroyed it.  
    lolliver
  • Reply 15 of 20
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    sdw2001 said:
    fastasleep said:
    sdw2001 said:
    I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    You know YouTube was only around for a year before Google bought it, right? It's been 15 years.
    Good point.  They’ve still destroyed it.  
    Yeah, that’s why it is one of the most popular video sharing services in the world. /s
    StrangeDaysmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 16 of 20
    crossladcrosslad Posts: 527member
    Google are hurting themselves by not offering PiP. A company that relies on viewing hours to sell adverts should be going for views above anything else. PiP would increase the number of views they get. 
  • Reply 17 of 20
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,759member
    crosslad said:
    Google are hurting themselves by not offering PiP. A company that relies on viewing hours to sell adverts should be going for views above anything else. PiP would increase the number of views they get. 
    PIP breaks the JS that shows the ads, which is likely why they block it. 
    patchythepiratercfa
  • Reply 18 of 20
    rcfarcfa Posts: 1,124member
    mcdave said:
    Largely pointless on an iPhone.  I’d rather Google used the 1st-party AV Player so it continues the sound after I switch away from the App and has standard media controls/navigation rather than random crap.
    But how would they force you to watch the ads? ;)

    I think the whole thing is all about coaxing people to either subscribe premium or watch the ads.

    Only when user backlash is big enough that the damage to the brand is bigger than the lost revenue, do they have incentive “to do the right thing”.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    fastasleep said:
    sdw2001 said:
    I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    You know YouTube was only around for a year before Google bought it, right? It's been 15 years.
    What’s your point?  No one claimed otherwise. 
  • Reply 20 of 20
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    flydog said:
    fastasleep said:
    sdw2001 said:
    I’m sure I’m not alone in stating the opinion that once Google bought YouTube, it absolutely ruined it. The amount of ads alone is absolutely insufferable. And their censorship? It’s comical at this point.  
    You know YouTube was only around for a year before Google bought it, right? It's been 15 years.
    What’s your point?  No one claimed otherwise. 
    It's been a Google property for ~94% of its existence, and is by far the largest and most popular video platform out there. My point is that I doubt they even remember how it was different in its first year of existence, which was very long ago. 
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