How to multitask like a pro with picture-in-picture video on your iPhone and iPod touch (2023)

picture in picture(PiP) video allows you to use FaceTime video calls or watch a video while using other apps. Your video will continue to play in a customizable thumbnail overlay that appears on top of everything else on the screen. It's a great multitasking feature that's finally available on iPhone and iPod touch thanks to iOS 14 software. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to learn how to use Picture in Picture on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Picture-in-Picture is coming to the iPhone

Picture in Picture was brought to the iPhone and iPod touch with the iOS 14 software update that Apple previewed during its virtual WWDC 2020 keynote on June 22. The feature works exactly as advertised. At Apple's demonstration, Craig Federighi, Chief Software Development Officer, touched a TV widget on the home screen to instantly open an Apple TV+ video.

The video started full screen, but then Federighi swiped up from the bottom of the screen to go home and the video appeared in a persistent overlay. The user can now move the overlay as needed, quickly launch the video back to full screen mode they want and more.

Picture in Picture is a welcome addition for iPhone users, especially people using a larger-screen model. Follow our step-by-step tutorial right now that will teach you how to use and manage picture-in-picture videos on your iPhone and iPod touch.

Picture-in-Picture Requirements

To use Picture-in-Picture on iOS 14, you need a compatible iPhone or iPod touch model running iOS 14.0 software or later. It's great that this welcome addition to multitasking is supported by all iPhones and iPods that meet theSystem requirements for iOS 14 update:

• iPhone 11 Promax
• iPhone 11 pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 7 plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 6s plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone SE (2. Generation)
• iPhone SE (1. Generation)
• iPod touch (7. Generation)

Picture-in-picture is supported by all standard Apple apps including Home, iTunes, Podcasts, Safari and TV. App makers have the option to skip qualifying their video playback for picture-in-picture. Many web videos and third-party streaming apps like Twitch work with Picture in Picture. A notable exception is YouTube, howeverwe'll get to that later in this tutorial.

As mentioned, a number of popular streaming apps support Picture in Picture on iOS 14, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, HBO Max, and more. If your favorite app doesn't support Picture in Picture, contact the developer and ask them to implement the feature.

How to use Picture in Picture on iPhone

You can shrink or enlarge the picture-in-picture overlay, hide it completely and just focus on the sound, adjust the settings so that picture-in-picture doesn't start automatically, and much more. The following tutorials will walk you through managing Picture in Picture on an iPhone and iPod touch.

Go to Image in Image mode

Follow these steps to enter picture-in-picture mode on your iPhone or iPod touch:

1)Open any app on your iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 14.0 or later software that supports video playback, such as Apple's TV app, iTunes, or FaceTime.

2)Start playing a video you want in full screen, then go back to the home screen (swipe up from the bottom of the display on iPhones with Face ID, or press the Home button on older ones). You can also switch to another app or click the Picture in Picture button in the playback controls.

You will then see the video collapse into a smaller overlay in one corner of the screen. You can keep watching the picture-in-picture video while having access to everything on your iPhone.

Control picture-in-picture video

Once you've entered picture-in-picture mode and the video has been downscaled to a corner of the display, be sure to follow the steps below, which will teach you how to control the PiP overlay:

When the picture-in-picture video overlay is active, you can do the following:

• Resize PiP video:To enlarge the small PiP overlay, invoke the pinch-open gesture (spread two fingers apart) as if you were enlarging a photo. To make the PiP overlay smaller, pinch (pinch two fingers closer together). You can also double tap the PiP overlay to quickly maximize or minimize the PiP size.
• Show/Hide PiP Controls:Tap the overlay to show/hide playback and PiP controls.
• Move the PiP video:Place the PiP overlay in any corner of the screen by simply dragging it. You can't align the overlay anywhere on the screen like you can on the Mac.
• Hide the PiP video:Drag the overlay away from either side of the screen for unhindered access to the app you're using while still listening to audio.
• Close the PiP video:Tap the "X" in the top left corner of the video.
• Switch back to full screen video:Tap the picture-in-picture button in the top-right corner of the overlay (tap once first to reveal the controls) to return to the source app.

Here's a handy pull tab you'll see after temporarily hiding the PiP overlay:

Needless to say, the standard iOS playback controls are also available to you in picture-in-picture mode, allowing you to pause, go back, or forward in apps that support those controls.

Even if you only need to snap the overlay to a corner and not anywhere on the screen, picture-in-picture video is still a significant boost for multitaskers on devices with smaller screens - not only can you finally catch your favorite TV show or movie Keep an eye on messages in Safari or check your email, but also make FaceTime video calls.

In other words, the picture-in-picture feature is perfect for making a video call with a friend while arranging a meeting, catching up on a TV show while checking your email, etc.

Read on to learn how to disable iOS 14's default Auto PiP mode.

Disable automatic picture in picture

The picture-in-picture overlay is invoked once the user lands on the home screen or switches to another app. Follow the steps below to learn how to change this default behavior so videos and FaceTime calls don't automatically resume in picture-in-picture:

1)Opensettingson your iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 14 or later.

2)ChooseGeneralfrom the root list.

3)Choosepicture in pictureSection.

4)Slide the switch next toStart PiP automaticallyinto the exhibition.

Regardless of this setting, you can always enter picture-in-picture manually by tapping the small picture-in-picture icon in the top-left corner of the video.

How to force picture-in-picture on YouTube

Google's officialYouTube app for iPhone and iPadcan keep the audio of a video playing even after exiting the app, but this handy feature is reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers. Luckily, you can easily bypass YouTube's limitation by opening a video in Safari:

1)Navigate to YouTube's web interface at using Safari or another browser on your iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 14.0 software or lateryoutube.com.

2)Start playing a video, then use the controls to switch to full screen mode.

3)In full-screen mode, tap the video to reveal the standard iOS media playback controls, then tap the Picture in Picture button near the top-left corner of the video.

As you'd expect, you can now continue using YouTube or switch to the home screen, or perhaps you'd like to switch to another app while the video keeps playing in a PiP overlay.

How to use FaceTime with picture-in-picture

Prior to iOS 14, you had some limited multitasking when it came to FaceTime video — you could switch to another app during a FaceTime call, but you only heard the receiver's audio because FaceTime didn't show the video portion of a call when multitasking.

In iOS 14, you can make a FaceTime video call picture-in-picture like any other video - during a FaceTime video call, just go to the home screen or open another app and your video call will automatically be reduced to a thumbnail -size PiP- overlaid

For example, you can now look something up on the web, or find this image in Photos, or refer to this chat in Messages, and your FaceTime PiP video will remain.

Picture-in-Picture on your Apple devices

Thanks to the software updates for iOS 14 and tvOS 14, Picture-in-Picture is now available for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV devices. For those wondering, Apple first brought this time-saving feature to its iPad with the September 2015 iOS 9 release.

The Mac would get this functionalityabout the September 2016 release of the macOS 10.12 Sierra update, with an added twist: in macOS you canHold down the Command (⌘) key to snap the PiP overlayanywhere on the screen instead of in one of the corners of the screen.

Last year's tvOS 13 update brought the feature to Apple's set-top box, albeit in a limited way - you could only watch picture-in-picture videos in the TV app itself. The tvOS 14 software of 2020 brought this functionality to the entire tvOS user interface.

Useful picture-in-picture tutorials

Check out these relevant tutorials covering the picture-in-picture feature:

• How to Position PiP Videos Anywhere on Mac Screen
• How to use PiP with the TV app on Apple TV
• How to use PiP in macOS Safari
• How to use PiP in macOS Chrome and Firefox
• How to force PiP in YouTube on iPad
• How to use PiP with YouTube on your Mac
• How to adjust PiP settings on iPad

Do you have any tips of your own for getting the most out of Picture-in-Picture? If so, then be a champion and please share them with the rest of us in the comments section below.

Watch iOS 14 Picture in Picture in action

Take a quick look at picture-in-picture of iOS 14 in action in our hands-on video below (mark 3:07).

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