Google has confirmed that it has blocked the display of YouTube’s Picture-in-Picture mode for free users on iOS 14. Here’s how to take advantage of it without going through the Premium box.
IOS 14’s Picture-in-Picture mode was supposed to allow users to enjoy any video by viewing it in a remote window while still using the iPhone for other things.
But Google did not welcome the arrival of this new function. The American firm has voluntarily blocked the Picture-in-Picture for YouTube users who have not subscribed to a Premium subscription.
However, there is a way to watch videos on Google’s streaming platform by activating the picture-in-picture mode of iOS 14. Here’s how.
1. Go to YouTube
Start by opening the Safari mobile web browser on the iPhone and go to the web version of YouTube. To take advantage of the Picture in Picture mode of iOS 14 with YouTube, you must indeed go through the website, the mobile application being locked, it is impossible to modify any parameter whatsoever to deceive YouTube.
2. Activate the PC version
To use the Picture-in-Picture iOS 14 with YouTube, the mobile web version (just like the app), is blocked. The only possible solution is therefore to use the Desktop version of the YouTube website. To do this, press the aA button in the Safari address bar, and choose Desktop version.
The YouTube web page should then reload and display the version normally intended for computer screens.
3. Activate Picture in Picture
Play the video, it should display in full screen. Then quit Safari and switch to another application.
If all went well, the YouTube video launched in Safari should still be playing, in a remote window that you can move and resize according to your needs.
To make this window disappear, tap on it to reveal the control buttons and press the small cross to close the window.