How to use picture-in-picture on iPhone

The short answer

Swipe up or press the Home button while watching a video, and it will shrink into a small floating window that stays on screen while you use other apps.

How to enable picture-in-picture

Picture-in-picture (PiP) works on iPhones running iOS 14 or later. It should be on by default, but you can double-check:

  • Open Settings
  • Tap General
  • Tap Picture in Picture
  • Make sure Start PiP Automatically is turned on

How to start picture-in-picture

Once you’re watching a video in a supported app:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or press the Home button on older iPhones)
  2. The video should automatically shrink into a small floating window
  3. You can also tap the PiP icon in the video player — it looks like two overlapping squares with an arrow

What you can do with the floating window

  • Drag it to any corner of the screen
  • Pinch to resize it — make it bigger or smaller
  • Tap it to see playback controls (play, pause, skip)
  • Swipe it off the edge of the screen to hide it — the audio keeps playing, and a small tab remains so you can pull it back

How to close picture-in-picture

You have two options:

  • Tap the floating window, then tap the X in the corner to close it
  • Tap the floating window, then tap the expand icon to go back to the app full screen

Apps that support it

Most major video apps work with PiP, including:

  • Safari (for web videos)
  • Apple TV+
  • FaceTime
  • Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu
  • YouTube (requires a YouTube Premium subscription)

When it’s not working

If PiP doesn’t activate when you expect it to:

  • Make sure Start PiP Automatically is enabled in Settings
  • Check that the app supports PiP — not all apps do
  • For YouTube, you need a Premium subscription for PiP to work
  • Try restarting the app or your iPhone if it’s acting glitchy
  • Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 14 or later