How to use YouTube Picture-in-Picture in the UK

I enjoy using YouTube for watching long-form content like video essays and vlogs. However, there are times when I want to multitask while delving into a rabbit hole of weird internet culture trends or crazy fandom theories.

Previously, I thought this was only possible with a YouTube Premium subscription. However, I accidentally discovered a hack while testing something for another article. Luckily, it turned out to be one of the best accidental discoveries I’ve made, and it’s very simple to do.

How to watch a YouTube video via picture-in-picture

If you’re unfamiliar with picture-in-picture (PiP), it’s a term for shrinking a YouTube video so you can access other parts of your phone screen. While some smartphones like iPhone offer this feature when watching via a browser like Safari, you may prefer to stay in the YouTube app for its streamlined interface.

Fortunately, YouTube does provide this feature, but it’s exclusive to users in the US. For American readers, you can enable PiP mode in your settings. Simply exit the app while watching a video (e.g., by tapping your Home button on Android), and the video will automatically shrink.

But what about those of us in the UK and outside of the US?

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Can you use YouTube picture-in-picture in the UK?

Yes, you can use YouTube PiP in the UK by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN reroutes your IP address, allowing you to browse the internet as if you’re in another country. Besides enabling YouTube PiP, there are numerous other reasons to utilize a VPN.

For this guide, I used NordVPN, which is recommended by Tech Advisor. However, there are various VPN options available that our team has tested.

This method is more cost-effective than subscribing to YouTube Premium and offers additional benefits like accessing Netflix US.

Once you’ve selected your VPN, follow these steps:

• If you have YouTube open, close the app
• Connect to a US server on your VPN
• Open the YouTube app, tap on the ‘You’ icon in the bottom right
• Click on the gear icon in the top right
• Go to ‘General’ and toggle on ‘Picture-in-picture mode’ if it’s not already enabled
• Select the video you want to watch and press play
• Exit the app, and the video should minimize
• Adjust the video size or position on your screen by pinching it

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Hannah Cowton / Foundry