YouTube Premium subscribers can now use iOS Picture-in-Picture – Here’s how

Google has implemented image-on-image support as an “experimental” feature for premium YouTube subscribers, allowing them to watch videos in a small window when the app closes.

If you are a premium YouTube subscriber and want to test the image, follow these steps:

1. Launch a web browser and sign in to your YouTube account at YouTube.com.
2. Go to www.youtube.com/new.
3. Scroll down to “Picture in Picture in iOS.”
4. Click “Try.”

Now, when you’re in the YouTube app to watch a video, go back to the home screen by sliding up / pressing the home button and the picture-in-picture mini player will appear. Google notes that if you lock your phone when you look at picture-in-picture mode, the video pauses, but you can resume it using the media controls on the lock screen.

Google announced in June that picture-in-picture support would be extended to users of premium YouTube apps who weren’t paying in the U.S., but some people outside the U.S. have been able to run the experimental feature, so could be globally available.

However, Google says the feature will only be available until October 31st. The company does not explain what happens next, but it is expected to be when it supports both paid subscribers and non-paying users, as initially promised. It remains to be seen whether it will still be available worldwide outside of its “experimental” context.

(Via 9to5Google.)