How to Use Picture in Picture on iPad While Using Other Apps

To use Picture in Picture (PiP) on an iPad, start a supported video, then tap the Picture in Picture button or swipe up from the Home indicator while the video is playing. The video shrinks into a floating window that stays visible while you use another app. If it does not appear, check the PiP setting and confirm that the app, video service, account, and specific video allow PiP.

Before you start, check that your iPad and video support Picture in Picture

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• An iPad running a version of iPadOS that supports Picture in Picture. PiP has been available on iPad since iPadOS 14.
• A supported video app or Safari with a supported web video.
• A video, account, and region for which the app or service allows PiP.

If your iPad is running an older system, update iPadOS before troubleshooting the video app.

Check the system setting:

• Open Settings.
• Tap General.
• Tap Picture in Picture.
• Turn on Start PiP Automatically.

This setting does not make every video app support PiP. An app can disable PiP for its service, a particular video, or users without a required subscription. Some apps support PiP directly, while others offer it only when you watch through Safari. Apple’s TV app and many video apps can support PiP, but availability changes by app, region, account type, and content rights.

Safari is a useful comparison because a supported web video may offer its own Picture in Picture button even when the corresponding app does not. If PiP works in Safari but not in an app, your iPad is probably configured correctly and the restriction is specific to that app or service.

How do I put a video in Picture in Picture?

Use the app’s Picture in Picture control or the Home gesture while the video is playing.

1. Open a supported video app, or open Safari and load a page with a supported video.
2. Start playing the video.
3. Tap the Picture in Picture button in the video controls if it is shown. It commonly looks like a rectangle with a smaller rectangle inside it.
4. If there is no visible button, swipe up from the bottom Home indicator while the video is playing. Use a short swipe upward from the center of the indicator, as if returning to the Home Screen.
5. Wait for the video to shrink into a floating window. Open another app from the Home Screen or App Switcher; the video should remain visible while the other app is open.

On an iPad with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge instead of using a Home indicator. If the gesture exits the video but does not create a floating window, the app or video does not support PiP, or Start PiP Automatically is turned off.

How to control the floating video window once it appears

The floating window stays above other apps. Tap it to reveal its playback controls.

• Move it: Drag the window to another corner or to a different position along the screen edge. Keep your finger inside the video while dragging.
• Resize it: Pinch open to make it larger or pinch closed to make it smaller. The available sizes depend on the iPad and current orientation.
• Pause or play: Tap the window, then tap the pause or play button.
• Return to full screen: Tap the window, then tap the expand button. The video returns to its app or web page at full size.
• Hide it temporarily: Drag the window all the way to the left or right edge until it slides mostly off-screen. A small tab remains visible. Drag the tab back onto the screen to restore the video.
• Close it: Tap the window, then tap the close button, usually shown as an X. The video stops, but the other app remains open.

If the controls disappear, tap the floating video once. Do not tap the close button when you only want to pause or hide the video.

Picture in Picture is not showing up—what should I check?

Work through these checks to identify whether the problem is the iPad, the gesture, or the video service.

1. Try a different video in the same app. Content restrictions can prevent PiP for one video even when the app normally supports it.
2. Check the app’s own settings and subscription requirements. An app can restrict PiP, and some services permit it only for certain accounts or content.
3. Open Settings > General > Picture in Picture and turn on Start PiP Automatically.
4. Start the video again and swipe up from the Home indicator while it is playing. Swipe from the center of the indicator. Do not pause the video first or use an in-app navigation control in place of the Home gesture.
5. Update iPadOS from Settings > General > Software Update. Update the video app through the App Store as well. Older app versions can lose compatibility after an iPadOS update.
6. Test the same type of video in Safari or in another known PiP-supported app. If PiP works there, the original app or service is the likely restriction.
7. Close and reopen the app, then restart the iPad if PiP used to work but has stopped. If it still fails in several supported apps after updating, check Apple’s current iPadOS documentation or the video service’s support information. App policies can change.

How to know Picture in Picture is working properly

Use this check:

1. Start a video in a supported app or in Safari.
2. Tap the Picture in Picture button, or swipe up from the Home indicator while the video is playing.
3. Confirm that the video shrinks into a floating window instead of simply closing or staying full screen.
4. Return to the Home Screen and open another app.
5. Confirm that the video remains visible above the new app and that tapping it reveals playback controls.
6. Drag the window, resize it, and then close it or return it to full screen.

PiP is working if the floating window remains visible in the other app and its controls respond. If it fails only in one app or for one video, the service’s support or content rules are more likely responsible than an iPad setting.

Conclusion

Start a supported video, tap the PiP button or swipe up from the Home indicator, and check `Settings > General > Picture in Picture` if the window does not appear. Safari is the quickest comparison test when an app refuses to enter PiP. Once the window appears, you can move, resize, hide, pause, expand, or close it while continuing to use the other app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Picture in Picture with every iPad video app?

No. iPadOS can support PiP while an individual app or video service does not. Content restrictions, regional rules, and subscription requirements can also limit PiP for particular videos or accounts.

Why does Picture in Picture work in Safari but not in the app?

The app may not support PiP or may restrict it for certain videos or account types. Safari and the app can use different playback systems, so success in Safari does not guarantee that the app will show a PiP control.

Does Picture in Picture keep playing when I open another app?

Yes, when the video and app support PiP. The video remains in a floating window above the new app until you pause it, close it, return it to full screen, or the video ends.