YouTube is extending its picture-in-picture mode to iPhone and iPad users worldwide, ending the U.S.–only restriction that applied to free accounts. Non‑Premium subscribers in any region will now be able to shrink long‑form, non‑music videos into a floating window while browsing other apps. To activate, users swipe up from the bottom of the screen; the video then floats and can be repositioned anywhere.

Premium Lite members keep the same access – they can use PiP for long‑form, non‑music content – while full Premium accounts gain picture‑in‑picture for both music and non‑music videos. Google’s rollout will occur over the next few months on iOS and Android. This alignment means Android and iOS users will enjoy identical multitasking capabilities, removing a long‑standing platform disparity.

By making PiP free for all users, YouTube narrows a feature gap that has long pushed Android users toward the platform and forced iPhone owners to stay in the app. The move could boost watch time on browsers and strengthen YouTube’s position against competing services offering multitasking playback. Analysts expect the broader availability to translate into ad impressions as users keep videos playing while multitasking.