YouTube Videos Will Now Play in the Background Without Premium; Company Makes Feature Free

YouTube has announced that it is making its Picture-in-Picture (PiP) feature free globally, allowing users to play videos in the background even without a Premium subscription. Find out how this new feature works.

YouTube is set to introduce a major change for its users. The company is making one of its popular features—Picture-in-Picture (PiP)—available for free to all users; previously, this feature was exclusive to Premium subscribers. The PiP feature allows users to play videos in a small floating window, enabling them to continue watching a video even after closing the app, while simultaneously performing other tasks on their phone.

YouTube's PiP Feature to Be Free for Everyone Now

YouTube has announced that its popular Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode will soon be made available for free to all users worldwide. This feature was initially made available for free in the U.S. and is now set to be rolled out globally on both Android and iOS platforms in the coming months. While apps like Netflix also offer PiP functionality, they remain entirely subscription-based services.

What is PiP Mode, and How Does It Work?

PiP—short for Picture-in-Picture—is a feature that allows you to play a video in a small floating window, even after you have exited the app. This means you can chat, browse social media, or use other applications while continuing to watch your video.

Using it is also quite simple. To activate it, simply tap the Home button while a video is playing, and the video will automatically begin playing in a smaller window.

Some Limitations Will Remain

Although PiP is now being made available for free, it will come with certain limitations. Specifically, this feature will work only for long-form and non-music videos. To watch music videos using PiP, a YouTube Premium subscription will still be required. This same rule will also apply to Premium Lite users.

What Are the Benefits for Users?

YouTube is already the world's largest video platform; despite this, the company continues to enhance its features to make them even more user-friendly. In this scenario, making PiP available for free would provide users with a superior multitasking experience; it would encourage more people to stay engaged with the platform, and some users might even opt for a Premium subscription.

What is the Cost of YouTube Premium?

If, in addition to free PiP, you desire features such as playing music videos in the background, an ad-free experience, or video downloads, you can subscribe to YouTube Premium, which starts at ₹149 per month in India.