YouTube expands picture-in-picture access to free users globally
The company said the feature, which was previously available to free users in the United States, is now being extended to users worldwide
YouTube is expanding its Picture-in-Picture (PiP) feature to free users globally, allowing viewers to continue watching videos in a small floating window while using other apps.
The company said the feature, which was previously available to free users in the United States, is now being extended to users worldwide. Non-paying users outside the US had previously needed a YouTube Premium or Premium Lite subscription to access PiP, says TechRadar.
The rollout covers both iOS and Android devices. However, access for free users is limited to longform, non-music videos. Music content in PiP mode remains restricted to YouTube Premium subscribers.
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Google said the feature is "rolling out to all users globally in the coming months," meaning availability will vary as the rollout progresses.
To activate PiP, users can swipe up or tap the home button while a video is playing, which reduces the video to a small floating player on the screen.
While PiP is being made more widely available, other features such as background play remain exclusive to paid subscriptions, allowing audio-only playback with the app in the background or the screen off.
For free users, PiP will not apply to music videos, which continue to require a Premium subscription for background or minimized playback functionality.
