How to Use Picture-in-Picture on iPhone

Do more with the Picture-in-Picture mode on your iPhone

By

Saikat Basu

Updated on September 21, 2021

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

iPhone & iOS

Switching from Android

What to Know

Go to Settings > General > Picture in Picture, and make sure the toggle next to Start PiP Automatically is on.
While using a compatible app, go to your home screen. The app window will shrink to a thumbnail. Switch to any other app.
Tap the maximize icon to exit picture-in-picture mode.

This article explains how to use Picture in Picture mode on an iPhone running iOS 14 and up.

How to Use Picture in Picture with FaceTime

The Picture in Picture (PiP) mode on iPhones makes multitasking easier. You can watch a video in a supported app like Vimeo or take a FaceTime call, for example, while doing something else.

When on a FaceTime call, press Home or swipe up to display your home screen.
The FaceTime call window scales down to a thumbnail. You can now switch to any other app while on the call. Return to a full FaceTime screen with a tap on the tiny maximize icon.
PiP allows you to modify the video window in a few ways:
- Drag it to a different corner of the screen.
- Pinch it open to make it larger or pinch it closed to shrink the size between small, medium, and full screen.
- Drag it off the left or right edge of the screen to hide the window. Audio will continue playing, but you can use the entire screen for something else.
- Tap the video window to show or hide the controls.
- Tap Close to close the video window.

How to Watch YouTube in Picture in Picture Mode

Unfortunately, YouTube isn't compatible with Apple's Picture in Picture mode. The only way to get PiP on YouTube is to become a YouTube Premium subscriber.

How to Disable Automatic Picture in Picture Mode

Though PiP is a convenient feature, you might not want it to automatically start when you're watching a video and return to the home screen. A single toggle switch prevents it from turning on automatically.

You can still start Picture in Picture manually. Play a video and tap the screen to show the playback controls. Then, tap the Picture in Picture icon on top of the playback window. (It's a small rectangle with an arrow pointing to a smaller rectangle.)

Open Settings.
Go to General > Picture in Picture.
Toggle the switch to the Off position.
To enable it, repeat these steps, and toggle the switch to the On position.

Apps That Support Picture-in-Picture on iPhone

You can use PiP with most of Apple’s own apps that handle video content including Apple TV, Podcasts, iTunes, FaceTime, Files, Home, and Safari. Many third-party apps also support Picture in Picture.

Netflix
Disney+
ESPN
Amazon Prime Video
Google TV
CNN: Breaking US & World News
Hulu
PBS Video
Pocket
Vimeo

While many popular apps support PiP, some of the most well-known apps don’t, including Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. However, you can view sites like these in a mobile browser in PiP mode.

To find out if your favorite app supports PiP, start watching a video and maximize it to a full screen. Then press the Home button (if you have it) or swipe up from the bottom of the screen to exit the app. If you get a floating thumbnail, it's compatible, otherwise it's not.

Browsers That Support Picture in Picture

You can also enjoy PiP in Safari and all common browser apps. Open a site with embedded videos and follow the same method as above.

Google Chrome
Firefox: Private, Safe Browser
Firefox Focus: Privacy browser
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge
Opera

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