YouTube picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is broken on iPhone, Android - 9to5Google

What the report says

9to5Google reports that YouTube is investigating a problem affecting picture-in-picture mode on both iPhone and Android, where the floating video window does not appear after users leave the YouTube app. The issue means playback may continue only as background audio rather than switching into the small on-screen player that lets viewers keep watching while using other apps.

According to the report, YouTube acknowledged that some users are having trouble with PiP failing to start when exiting the app. Google said most reports are coming from iOS users, though Android devices have also been mentioned. 9to5Google said it was able to reproduce the problem on an iPhone running version 21.28 of the YouTube app, but not on a Pixel device.

The article says YouTube first flagged the issue on Friday morning Pacific time and said its teams were actively looking into it. As of Saturday afternoon, 9to5Google reported there had been no further progress update. Users were directed to a YouTube Help thread for future status information.

The problem matters because PiP is a widely used convenience feature for mobile viewing, especially for people who rely on YouTube while multitasking. 9to5Google noted that YouTube began expanding picture-in-picture access to free users around the world earlier this year, making a disruption more noticeable beyond paying subscribers.