Smartphone users around the world are struggling to live without YouTube these days. This was evident from the traction our report on ways to unblock YouTube received. Building on this success, the video-sharing platform is testing a picture-in-picture for its iOS app. Of course, one might wonder why the delay, given that the PIP feature was available to iPad users a few years ago and first appeared on iPhones this year via iOS 14 updates. YouTube has never before supported this feature that allows users to watch videos while simultaneously using other apps on the device. Some posts on Twitter seem to suggest that the picture-in-picture feature has already been rolled out for some users with the latest version of the YouTube app on iOS. However, a section of Twitterati contradicted this opinion, saying that the feature is only functional for certain videos, which could mean that development is not complete yet. However, a report published on 9to5Mac confirmed that the feature is being tested with a small group of users. For those who haven't really seen the picture-in-picture feature on a small device, here's a video of how it works on the iPad, shared by the website. < p lang="en" dir="ltr">Picture in Picture works on iPadOS with the YouTube app. (But just working with this live stream, there must be some codec hack behind the scenes for some playback scenarios.) pic.twitter.com/75vG7Ai4ln August 27, 2020 Once the new feature is enabled, it should work pretty much the same as other apps that support it. For example, you can start playing a video, switch to another app like your email, and continue watching the video through a smaller window. Imagine watching IPL cricket while checking your email or even taking part in a video call. Of course, there is a catch. YouTube limits background video playback on iOS to its premium subscribers only. This means that the picture-in-picture feature is limited to premium paying users only. Ironically, for the service that costs Rs.139 per month, you could end up paying Rs.169 per month if you subscribe through the YouTube app on iOS. In case you didn't know, the extra money is a commission from the App Store. Google hasn't commented on when it will enable Picture-in-Picture in the YouTube app on iOS for all users. So all we can do now is wait patiently and hope YouTube quickly rolls out the feature, though there's no way Apple will lose its commission. So be prepared to spit out an extra 30 rupees in case you want the service.