YouTube picture-in-picture mode rolling out for free users in US

Picture-in-picture mode debuted as one of Android Oreo’s headline features last year. As great as the feature was, however, it was strange to see uninterrupted video support on Android phones and tablets across many video platforms with one major exception: Google’s own YouTube.

Of course, that wasn’t the case for those willing to pay for subscription services like YouTube Premium, but now it seems picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is rolling out to non-premium YouTube users in the U.S. too.

Redditors in the U.S. noticed the feature had begun rolling out late yesterday, with the folks at XDA-Developers later verifying that PiP was working for free YouTube users in the region.

The feature doesn’t work with all videos as it can be disabled by channels and content creators, so don’t be too alarmed if it isn’t working for you straight away. Official music videos, for example, don’t seem to support the miniaturized videos.

You can check if PiP mode is live for you by heading to YouTube’s Settings menu. If you can see a toggle for picture-in-picture mode then you’re good to go! Other users, particularly those in other regions besides the U.S., may have to wait a little longer — I’m still stuck with full-size videos only here in the U.K.

Is YouTube picture-in-picture mode working for you? Let us know in the comments!