The online video platform YouTube has rolled out picture-in-picture support as an experimental feature for its premium subscribers, allowing them to watch a video in a small window when the app is closed.

As per ANI, in June, YouTube announced it would be bringing picture-in-picture to iOS. Now, it seems the much-demanded feature is finally available, though perhaps for a limited time and only for YouTube Premium subscribers currently.

If the user is a YouTube Premium subscriber, then they open up a web browser and head to www.youtube.com/new. Scroll down to where “Picture-in-picture on iOS” is listed and click “Try it out.”

They’ll be prompted to sign in to their account. Then, while watching a YouTube video, just navigate away from the app using the home button or by swiping up and picture-in-picture will start. Locking the phone screen while watching PiP will pause the video, but they can resume it via the lock screen media controls.

Now, when the user opens a video in the YouTube app on their iPhone, if they close the app (either by swiping up or clicking the home button), the video will continue playing in a small window.

They can move that window around and do other things on their phone, and it will continue playing.

YouTube says the feature is “Available until 31 October”, and we’re not sure what happens after this date. Fingers crossed that will be when YouTube – as promised in June — will be bringing the feature to all users, not just paid ones.

Picture-in-picture mode was launched in iOS 14 back in 2020.