Summary
- Mobile PiP is now available globally for all YouTube users as of April 29.
- On the free tier, the feature was previously limited to US residents.
- PiP still isn’t background play — your screen must stay on, and music playback remains locked behind Premium.
YouTube just got a lot better for free users — as of April 29, picture-in-picture on mobile is now available to non-Premium users globally. This also means there’s one less reason to pay for YouTube Premium, a subscription that is very much a love-it-or-hate-it kind of service for many.
This free web app turns YouTube into a cable TV experience — and it’s my favorite way to watch ad-free
Surf YouTube like we did in the 90s.
What’s changed with picture-in-picture on YouTube?
PiP for all
YouTube on Android and iOS has offered PiP for a long time, but only YouTube Premium users have had full access. That part hasn’t changed — music is still limited to the top-tier Premium subscription. Meanwhile, PiP on the free tier was previously restricted to US residents, so anyone outside the country was out of luck.
With the change on April 29, all YouTube tiers globally can now access picture-in-picture on mobile. This is a significant change — the ability to multitask without interrupting playback is huge. However, keep in mind that PiP is not the same as background playback. You’ll still need your screen on to have playback continue.
Here’s the breakdown of how things stand now:
|
Standard videos |
Music |
Ads in PiP |
Background playback |
|
|
YouTube Premium |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
YouTube Premium Lite |
Yes |
No |
Limited ads |
Yes |
|
YouTube (Free) |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Is YouTube Premium still worth it?
Ad-free viewing is still the main selling point
YouTube Premium is a bit of a controversial service. Some people absolutely swear by it, saying it’s the only subscription they’ll never cancel.
However, others feel it’s not worth the cost, or lament that YouTube seems to be making ads worse to drive users to pay.
What do you get with YouTube Premium?
If you’re wondering whether Premium is worth it for you, here’s a rundown of the headline features:
- No ads: This is the big one for many. No ads on YouTube on any device.
- Unlimited background play: This is especially nice for music.
- Full PiP access: None of the annoying content restrictions of the other tiers.
- YouTube Music Premium: YouTube’s streaming music service is included with YouTube Premium. It’s not necessarily as good as Spotify, but if you’re paying for Premium for another reason, it could let you drop your Spotify subscription and save even more.
What side of the fence do you fall on? Are you a Premium subscriber, or do you think it’s a waste of money? Drop us a comment and let us know.
