After several years of wait, Apple has finally listened to the wish of iOS users who had been calling for a full-fledged Picture-in-Picture mode on the iPhone. Though Apple had introduced PiP mode on the iPad way back in iOS 9 at WWDC 2015, the company was just not willing to bring it on the iPhone — for reasons best known to it. Now that it has eventually graced the iPhone, let’s dive right in to learn how you can use Picture in Picture mode in iOS 14!
I know many of you may be quite familiar with PiP mode as it’s been around for several years. As is usually the case, there could be more than a handful of iOS users who might not have come across this multitasking feature. So, it would be apt to get the basics out of the way first up.
What is Picture-in-Picture Mode in iOS 14?
Picture-in-Picture playback is a multitasking feature designed to let you watch your favorite video while still carrying out other tasks like browsing the web, messaging, or taking a note. Imagine a situation where you are watching an exciting flick, suddenly an important message hits your inbox.
iPhone Apps That Support PiP Mode in iOS 14
To offer a seamless experience, the PiP mode is enabled by default. So, the next time you want to browse the web while still catching up with your favorite flick, you can get started with this multitasking feature right away.
(On the Face ID supported iPhone, swipe up from the Home bar to head over to the Home screen. On the Touch ID supported iPhone, press the Home button.)
Resize Your PiP Video
Once you are in PiP mode, you can not just drag it at the desired corners but also resize it. To do so, use two fingers (pinch in/pinch out) to expand and shrink its size.
While playing the video in PiP mode on your iOS 14 device, you can adjust the speed and even pause the video. To fine-tune the speed, tap on the 15 seconds forward/backward button to go back and forth. To pause the video, hit the play button. To kickstart the video, tap on the play button again.
If you ever want to switch back to the full screen, hit the PiP mode button at the top right corner of the floating video.
Hide the PiP Video
While watching the video in the PiP mode, if you ever find the video interrupting your activity, you can easily hide it. Simply swipe the floating video to the left or right edge of the screen. Even when the video is hidden, you can continue to listen to the audio.
At any time you want to unhide the PiP video, you can do so with ease. Just tap on the tiny handle to pop it out.
If you no longer want to watch the video, tap on the “X” button at the top left of the floating window.
How to Use YouTube Picture-in-Picture Mode on iOS?
As mentioned above, the YouTube app doesn’t support PiP mode on iOS. However, you can play it through Safari. Simply, open Safari -> youtube.com -> play a video -> tap on full screen button -> navigate to the Home screen of your iOS device.
If you are talking about using PiP inside WhatsApp, it already works. But if you want to use Right PiP WhatsApp on home screen, currently doesn’t support it. But given the popularity of this cool playback mode, we expect the messaging app to get on board once the official version of iOS 14 rolls out.
So that’s how you can make the most of Picture-in-Picture mode on your iOS device to enhance multitasking experience. Right now, there are only a handful of apps that support PiP playback. I, however, expect most video apps to get the support by this fall. Packed with a range of cool features like Back Tap and App Library, iOS 14 has won a lot of praise from fans. What’s your take on this latest iteration of iOS? Feel free to share your valuable thoughts with us.
