YouTube's Gift: Now Non-Premium Users Can Also Watch Videos in the Background—Here's How

YouTube has presented a special gift to its non-premium users. As part of this offering, a feature previously exclusive to Premium subscribers is now being made available to everyone for free. Read on to learn the details regarding this feature.

There is good news for YouTube users. You will no longer need to pay extra for a Premium subscription just to access YouTube's premium features. The video streaming platform is now making one of its premium features available to all users free of charge. This means you can now access a premium YouTube feature without holding a Premium subscription. This feature is YouTube's Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, which allows you to minimize a video and continue watching it in the background. Previously, background video playback required a YouTube Premium subscription, but that is no longer the case. Find out here when this feature will become available and which users will benefit from it.

YouTube Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode

In its latest blog post, the video streaming platform YouTube announced that it is expanding its popular Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode to a wider user base. This mode is now set to be rolled out globally to all users. The rollout to users is scheduled to take place over the coming months.

What is YouTube Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode?

Regarding YouTube's Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode: when enabled, the video shrinks into a small tab that appears as a floating window. This allows you to continue watching the video in a minimized format even after closing the YouTube app. This feature offers the convenience of watching videos in the background. Until now, only Premium subscribers could access this functionality; however, in the near future, it will be accessible to other users as well. This feature will be made available to both Android and iOS users.

Non-Premium Viewers

This new feature will be made available to non-premium viewers subject to certain conditions. This PiP mode will be available exclusively for long-form and non-music content.

Premium Viewers

On the other hand, when it comes to Premium users, they will be able to enjoy music videos in PiP mode as well.

How to Use PiP Mode

Using PiP mode is extremely simple. To use it, simply swipe up on the video you wish to watch in the background. The video will then transform into a small floating window, allowing you to exit the YouTube app and continue watching the video while accessing other applications in the background.

YouTube PiP Mode Rollout

YouTube's PiP mode is set to be rolled out globally to all users over the coming months. Consequently, if you were planning to purchase a YouTube subscription in the near future specifically to access this feature, you no longer need to do so; you will be able to access it for free. For your information, the cost of a YouTube Premium subscription in India is ₹149 per month.