I really like utilizing YouTube for long-form content material like video essays and vlogs. Nevertheless, typically I need to multitask whereas I’m diving down a rabbit gap about some bizarre web tradition pattern or loopy fandom concept.
Beforehand I didn’t suppose this was attainable with out shopping for a YouTube Premium subscription. Nevertheless, I by chance stumbled throughout a hack whereas testing one thing for an additional article (the grind by no means stops). Thankfully, it’s probably the greatest unintended discoveries I’ve made, and really straightforward to do.
Methods to watch a YouTube video by way of picture-in-picture
If you happen to’ve not heard of picture-in-picture (PiP) earlier than, this can be a techy time period for shrinking a YouTube video down so you may entry different elements of your cellphone display screen.
Whereas some smartphones like iPhone have this potential with YouTube when you watch by way of a browser comparable to Safari, you might need to keep within the YouTube app because of its extra streamlined interface.
Thankfully, YouTube does provide this characteristic. The catch? It’s unique to these within the US.
If you happen to’re an American reader, all you could do is allow the PiP mode in your settings. When watching a video, exit the app (maybe by clicking in your House button on Android), after which the video will robotically shrink.
However what about the remainder of us chumps within the UK and out of doors of the US?
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Can you utilize YouTube picture-in-picture within the UK?
Sure, you need to use YouTube PiP within the UK – all you want is a VPN.
This stands for digital personal community. This software program reroutes you IP deal with so you may browse the web as when you’re from one other nation. Nevertheless, there are many different causes you may need to use a VPN.
For this tutorial I used a NordVPN, Tech Advisor’s top-rated supplier. Nevertheless, there are many different choices on the market that we as a workforce have tried and examined.
That is cheaper than subscribing to YouTube Premium, and also will provide you with a great deal of different advantages comparable to the power to observe Netflix US.
When you’ve chosen your VPN, right here’s what you need to do:
- When you’ve got YouTube open, shut the app
- Connect with a US server in your VPN
- Open the YouTube app, click on on the ‘You’ icon within the backside proper
- Click on on the gear icon on the highest proper
- Faucet ‘Normal’ after which toggle on ‘Image-in-picture mode’ if it’s not enabled
- Discover the video you need and click on play
- Exit the app, and the video ought to minimise
- Pinch the video to regulate the dimensions or transfer it in your display screen
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Primarily based on my expertise, you need to all the time shut a video (even when you’re mid-watch) to get this methodology to work.
If you wish to return into the app when you’ve enabled PiP, click on as soon as on the video after which faucet the maximise icon within the centre of the video. I additionally didn’t have to toggle on the PiP setting within the app – it was enabled by default.
I used a OnePlus 12 operating on Android 14 for this hack, however in response to Google, this also needs to work on iPhone and iPad.
As I discussed earlier, I stumbled throughout this after I was utilizing my cellphone for an additional streaming information, and I went to exit YouTube. I used to be fairly shocked after I noticed the PiP characteristic and did some digging. Naturally, I simply needed to share my findings with TA readers.
This methodology is ideal for lengthy movies, comparable to Jenny Nicholson’s viral Star Wars lodge video essay. You may also learn up on minimise a YouTube video on iPhone to play simply the audio whereas your display screen is locked.