Allow picture-in-picture for YouTube in Android Settings, then turn it on in YouTube’s Playback settings. Play a regular non-music video in the YouTube app and go to the Home screen while the video is still playing.
01Allow YouTube to show the floating player
Section linkIn Android Settings, open Apps → YouTube → Picture-in-picture and turn on Allow picture-in-picture. On some phones, the setting is under Advanced or Special app access. If you can’t find it, search Settings for picture-in-picture and select YouTube.
02Check YouTube’s Playback setting
Section linkIn the YouTube app, open Settings → Playback and turn on Picture-in-Picture. Let a regular video start, then swipe up to Home or tap Home while it’s playing. If the video shrinks into a window, open another app and check that the window stays visible.
03If only some videos won’t float
Section linkCompare a regular video with the one that fails. YouTube reserves picture-in-picture for music content such as official music videos and song covers for YouTube Premium members. If the regular video floats, the Android permission and the YouTube switch are working. If nothing floats, update the YouTube app and repeat the regular-video test.