YouTube has again extended its Picture in Picture test on iPhone and iPad. The test was originally supposed to end last October, but after multiple extensions, it is now scheduled to conclude on March 14.
It means you still cannot enjoy the feature without a YouTube Premium subscription.
YouTube delays Picture in Picture for iOS
Picture in Picture support for YouTube has long been available on Android devices. And you might think that it would be relatively easy to extend the feature to iPhone and iPad. After all, other apps added it years ago.
But apparently not. Google has been “testing” Picture in Picture support for YouTube since last June, and it’s still not ready to roll out to everyone. The company this week extended its test (again) to March 14, 2022.
In other words, you still need a YouTube Premium subscription to enjoy Picture in Picture support on iPhone and iPad. It will open up to everyone eventually, at least in the U.S., but not until YouTube decides that it’s ready.
The never-ending test
Cynics might accuse Google of extending the test again and again just to grab as many Premium subscribers as possible. And it’s hard to argue against that, given that Picture in Picture seems perfectly stable on iPhone and iPad.
Here’s to hoping YouTube finally deems it worthy of a wider release next month. In the meantime, if you do have YouTube Premium, you can activate Picture in Picture for iOS and iPadOS via the YouTube Labs website.
“When you’re trying this feature for the first time, it may not work properly for the first hour,” Google notes. “If PiP doesn’t work after the first hour, try uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube app.”
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
