Starting with iOS 14, video in many apps is no longer restricted to the app's own window – instead, you can display video using picture-in-picture mode in a floating window on the iPhone's Home screen or within another app. App developers need to enable picture-in-picture mode for their apps, so not all video apps currently support this feature – and there's no comprehensive list of compatible apps.
You can use picture-in-picture with Apple's own apps, such as FaceTime and Apple TV, and a number of third-party video apps as well, including Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video. One of the few popular apps which doesn't yet allow picture-in-picture mode is YouTube.
How to use picture-in-picture video on iPhone
1. To begin, start a video app and begin playing a video, or in the case of FaceTime, start a video call.
2. When the video is playing – not paused or still buffering to play for the first time -- go to your Home screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
3. If the app supports picture-in-picture, you should now see the video in a floating window on the Home screen.
Once the video is playing on your Home screen, you can:
- Drag and resize it. You can position the video anywhere you like on the screen. Drag it around so it's not covering something you need to see. You can also resize it (slightly) using the two-fingered pinch and expand gestures. To toggle between the largest and smallest the video can appear in this mode, double tap it.
- Hide the video. If you need to get the video temporarily out of the way, swipe it to either side of the screen. It will dock there, and you'll see a small arrow appear. To bring the video back, tap the arrow.
- Play the video on top of another app. The video isn't limited to the Home screen. You can start another app, and the video will continue to appear as a picture-in-picture window on that app.
- Return to the original video app. You can go back to the app window by tapping the icon in the top right corner of the picture-in-picture window, or by double-tapping the video window with two fingers.
- Close the video. To close the video, tap the "X" at the top left of the picture-in-picture window.
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