Picture in Picture

How to access iOS 9’s Picture in Picture mode for YouTube videos

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 1, 2015

Google is seriously lagging when it comes to updating its YouTube app with all the latest iOS 9 and iPad Pro features. For example, there's no support for Split View side by side multitasking, and the app lacks optimization for the iPad Pro's extra large screen. But what I find to be most egregious, is the lack of support for Picture in Picture mode.

For an app like YouTube, which is solely centered around watching videos, it's frustrating that the app doesn't yet have support for the handy multitasking feature.

But there is a way to get Picture in Picture mode for YouTube videos, if you're willing to use a third-party app. Once such app, entitled YouPlayer, does a very good job of presenting YouTube videos with many of the popular iOS 9 and iPad Pro niceties.

Helium brings Picture in Picture options to the Mac

Jeff Benjamin ∙ October 29, 2015

Picture in Picture mode is a cool new feature for the iPad on iOS 9. As we showed you earlier today, you can even take advantage of Picture in Picture mode on the iPhone, if you're willing to jailbreak.

But what about the Mac?

Fortunately there's a Mac app called Helium that does a pretty good job of emulating the Picture in Picture effect on the desktop. It's especially handy for watching YouTube videos. Watch our hands-on video to see what I mean.

Pegasus: a tweak that brings Picture in Picture mode to all iOS 9 devices

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

The iPad has a leg up on other devices in the iOS family, because later model versions can take advantage of iOS 9's new Picture in Picture mode for video multitasking. Picture in Picture mode lets you watch videos or conduct FaceTime calls in a smaller window while using other apps at the same time.

Unfortunately, for those of you on iPads that predate the iPad Air, along with iPhone and iPod touch users, Picture in Picture mode is not available. That's unless you decide to jailbreak and install Pegasus, a tweak by developer Evan Swick. Pegasus is a new jailbreak tweak that enables Picture in Picture mode on previously unsupported devices. Have a look at our full video walkthrough to see how it works.

iOS 9 Picture-in-Picture feature hacked to run Doom

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Developer Adam Bell has hacked together a demo of the popular first-person shooter game Doom running on an iPad in iOS 9's Picture-in-Picture mode. A video shows him opening apps and performing other functions on his iPad, while a demo of Doom runs in a smaller window.

Bell says that his iPad isn't jailbroken, and he's not using any kind of process injection. His method involves the use of public developer APIs, which means there's theoretically nothing stopping devs from implementing this in their apps, although it's unlikely Apple would approve it.

A new multitasking experience comes to iPad in iOS 9

Jeff Benjamin ∙ June 8, 2015

True multitasking is now a reality on the iPad! With iOS 9, you can view two apps at the same time and interact with them using multitouch at the same time.

You can also adjust the Split View between the two apps on the fly, and access additional apps by means of a brand new App Switcher. You'll even be able to watch videos via a brand new Picture in Picture mode.

Needless to say, iOS 9 looks like a complete game changer for the iPad. It will certainly make it more of a productivity machine thanks to the new multitasking ability.