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Heroes of Might and Magic 3Picture in Picture and Miniplayer
YouTube picture in picture keeps a video playing in a small window when you leave the app on Android or iPhone; it is free for most videos, but music videos need YouTube Premium. On a computer, the Miniplayer (press i) keeps the video in a corner while you browse YouTube.
YouTube's picture in picture works by leaving the app while a video plays: on Android or iPhone, swipe home and the video shrinks into a small floating window that stays on top of other apps. It is free for long videos and Shorts, but music content, such as official music videos, Art Tracks, children's songs and covers, plays in picture in picture only for YouTube Premium members. On a computer, the equivalent is the Miniplayer: press i, or right-click the video and choose Miniplayer, and the video moves to a corner while you keep browsing YouTube.
Quick facts
| Picture in picture | Android and iPhone/iPad app; leave the app while a video plays |
| Free for | Long videos and Shorts (not music) |
| Premium only | Music content: official music videos, Art Tracks, children's songs, covers |
| iPhone and iPad | iOS 15.0 or later; on by default unless background play is off |
| Miniplayer key (computer) | i |
| Miniplayer not available | Shorts and videos made for kids |
From Using picture-in-picture on your mobile device, Use your YouTube Premium benefits, Watch videos on the Miniplayer and Keyboard shortcuts for YouTube, read Nov 6, 2026.
How do I turn on picture in picture on YouTube?
On Android:
- In the phone's settings, open Apps > YouTube > Advanced > Picture-in-picture and make sure Allow picture-in-picture is on.
- In the YouTube app, tap your profile photo, then Settings > Playback, and switch on Picture-in-Picture.
- Play a video and go to the home screen.
On iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.0 or later):
- In iOS Settings, open General > Picture-in-picture and switch on Start PiP Automatically.
- In the YouTube app, open Settings > Playback and switch on Picture-in-Picture.
- Play a video and swipe home.
On iOS it is on by default unless background play has been turned off in the app (Help). To stop it opening for one video, pause the video before leaving the app. To close the window, tap it and then the X, or drag it to the bottom of the screen.
Who gets picture in picture for free
Picture in picture for long videos and Shorts that are not music is available to everyone on iOS and Android, and music content is a Premium benefit (Use your YouTube Premium benefits). The Help pages list no country limits as of Nov 6, 2026. For Premium members, dismissing the window does not stop the video: it carries on as background play, audio with the screen off (Help). If a music video vanishes when you leave the app without Premium, that is the rule, not a fault.
The Miniplayer on a computer
The Miniplayer keeps a video playing in a small player while you browse, search or read comments elsewhere on YouTube. Open it by pressing i or by right-clicking the video and choosing Miniplayer (Watch videos on the Miniplayer; Keyboard Shortcuts). In it you can pause and play, click another video's thumbnail on Home to load it, drag the player to any of the four corners and drag a corner to resize it. The Expand button returns to the watch page; the X or Escape closes it. It is not available for Shorts or for videos made for kids, and Help describes no setting to turn it off, only to close it.
The Miniplayer in the app
In the Android and iPhone apps, pulling a playing video down to the bottom of the screen also shrinks it into a miniplayer while you browse inside the app. Since Oct 15, 2024, that miniplayer can be moved and resized, and looks like a small window with play, pause and 10-second skip buttons rather than a thin bar (YouTube blog; 9to5Google). Picture in picture is the version that keeps playing after you leave the app.
What creators say
In a May 5, 2024 video, Rahul of TechReviewPro tried two iPhones: on the one without YouTube Premium, the app's Settings > General had no picture in picture switch at all, while on the one with Premium the switch was there. That is one test, on one account; YouTube Help now says picture in picture is free for videos that are not music, and puts the app's switch under Settings > Playback.
Frequently asked questions
Is YouTube picture in picture free? Yes for most videos: YouTube offers picture in picture to everyone on Android and iOS for long videos and Shorts, while music content needs YouTube Premium.
Why is YouTube picture in picture not working? Check that it is allowed in the phone's own settings and switched on under Settings > Playback in the YouTube app, that the video was playing when you left the app, and that it is not music, which needs Premium. On iPhone it also needs iOS 15.0 or later and background play left on.
What is the shortcut for the YouTube Miniplayer? Press i on a computer to open YouTube's Miniplayer, and Escape to close it.
Can I watch YouTube Shorts in the Miniplayer? No. YouTube's Miniplayer on a computer does not play Shorts or videos made for kids, though picture in picture on phones does play Shorts.
Does YouTube keep playing when I close picture in picture? Only with YouTube Premium, where dismissing the window switches the video to background play; otherwise it stops.
Sources
- Using picture-in-picture on your mobile device, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- How to Play YouTube in Picture-in-Picture Mode, TechReviewPro, May 5, 2024 (video)
- Use your YouTube Premium benefits, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Watch videos on the Miniplayer, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Keyboard shortcuts for YouTube, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- All in the details: Keep your eyes peeled for these new features coming to YouTube, YouTube Official Blog, Oct 15, 2024
- YouTube rolling out new miniplayer, fine-tunable playback speed, sleep timer, and more, 9to5Google, Oct 15, 2024
Moments
How to Play YouTube in Picture-in-Picture Mode on iPhone? Turn On Picture In Picture Mode on iPhone
TechReviewPro
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See also
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YouTube PremiumYouTube Premium is YouTube's paid plan: videos without ads, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium, an enhanced-bitrate 1080p, Jump ahead and more. In the US it costs $15.99 a month for one person and $26.99 for a family as of Nov 6, 2026; Premium Lite is a cheaper, mostly ad-free plan without music.
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Keyboard ShortcutsYouTube's main keyboard shortcuts on a computer are k to play or pause, j and l to jump 10 seconds, f for full screen, m to mute, c for captions, and comma and period to step frames; Shift + ? shows the full list in the player.
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Ambient ModeAmbient mode is the soft glow of a video's colors that YouTube casts around the player in dark theme. Turn it off from the player's Settings gear, Ambient mode, on a computer, or Settings, Additional settings, Ambient mode on a phone.
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Automatic DubbingYouTube automatic dubbing uses AI to add translated audio tracks to eligible creators' videos, labeled "auto-dubbed". Viewers switch back to the original audio in the player's settings; creators turn it off in the YouTube Studio app under Settings, Automatic dubbing.
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Captions and SubtitlesTurn YouTube captions on with the CC button or the C key, translate them with Settings, Subtitles/CC, Auto-translate, and restyle them under Options. Creators add captions in YouTube Studio's Subtitles page; automatic captions cover 67 languages.