As per globalmediainsight.com, around 122 million people use Youtube actively on a daily basis, and out of these millions, 62% are Americans. Well, Youtube offers a diverse collection of content that attracts all ages. With this vast viewership, we believe that a few hacks about the application would come in handy, for example, how to lock Youtube screen, how to watch youtube videos in the background, while multitasking on your phone, and how to use picture-in-picture feature to watch Youtube, while you check your emails.
Previously we have discussed using Youtube search to its full potential, which included, how to turn off age restriction on Youtube along with some other FAQs. In this article, we will go over some useful hacks that would come in handy, when you are using Youtube on the bus or while multitasking on your phone.
Starting with our very first hack, that may come in handy especially for parents who have toddlers. Youtube has many children-friendly videos that not only keep a child entertained but are also educational and help in the development of a child, therefore, parents allow their children to have some screen time. However, children being children, and especially Gen Z, can’t control their curiosity and try to touch the screen, which opens videos that are not for them or may open other applications on your phone. However, you can control this by locking Youtube screen. The feature locks the Youtube screen, which will continue the video, even if your child touches the screen multiple times.
Here is how to lock screen on Youtube
We have both, android users and iPhone users, thus, we will discuss the step-by-step process for both users.
How to lock the Youtube screen on android?
In android phones there is a feature called screen pinning, once you enable this feature, your phone will be locked and only one application will be able to run. You can use this for Youtube as well. Find below the steps to enable the screen pinning feature on your android phone.
Step 1: Open your phone settings.
Step 2: Next, scroll down and find “Security”, tap on it.
Step 3: Here you will find an option of “More Settings” at the end of the window, tap on it.
Step 4: Find, “Screen Pinning” option and enable it.
Step 5: Now whenever you open Youtube, you’ll find a pin icon, tap on it to lock your Youtube screen.
How to lock a Youtube screen on an iPhone?
Locking screen via iPhone is a little different from android. There is no built-in application like Screen Pinning on android. Thus follow the steps below to lock the Youtube screen on an iPhone.
Step 1: Instead of opening the Youtube application on iPhone, open your Safari browser or chrome browser and open Youtbe.com.
Step 2: Once Youtube opens, you will find three vertical dots at the top right corner of your screen, tap on it.
Step 3: Next, find “Settings” and tap on it.
Step 4: Here you’ll see a button – “General,” tap it.
Step 5: There will be a new window, find “Accessibility” and tap it.
Step 6: Under the Accessibility feature, you’ll find, “Guided access” button, toggle it to enable.
Step 7: Set a password that you will require to disable the lock screen feature.
Step 8: Once you set your password, you’ll be able to lock the Youtube screen on an iPhone.
Now that we have given our first hack, it’s time to move on to the next. The next hack that we will discuss, will enable you to play your Youtube videos in the background while you use your phone for other tasks.
Read More: YouTube Videos
How to play Youtube videos in the background?
Although this feature of Youtube is reserved for subscribed members only, here we will give you the secret to enable it free. Again, there are two different ways to do so on an android and on the iPhone, therefore, we will be outlying the step-by-step process for both.
Playing Youtube videos in the background on android
Step 1: First open your chrome app and type Youtube.com
Step 2: Once the Youtube site opens, you’ll find three vertical dots at the top right corner, tap on it.
Step 3: Find “Desktop site” and tap it.
Step 4: Next search for the video you wish to play in the background and open it. Your video will start playing on the next page.
Step 5: Press the home screen button. This will stop the video, that was playing
Step 6: Pull down the notification bar and you’ll find the video controls of the video. Tap on play and the video will start playing in the background, while you use other applications on your phone.
Playing Youtube videos in the background on iPhone
The main method of playing a Youtube video in the background on the iPhone is similar to the android, but in an iPhone, instead of google chrome, you use Safari.
Step 1: Open the Safari app and open Youtube.com.
Step 2: Next, tap on the “AA” icon, on the top left corner.
Step 3: This will bring a pop-up, find “Request Desktop Website” and tap on it.
Step 4: On the desktop version, open the video, which you want to play in the background.
Step 5: Press the Home button and exit the site.
Step 6: Pull down the notification bar on your iPhone with a face id or Open the notification panel from the bottom of the screen without a face id.
Step 6: Find the video controls and tap on play to play your desired video on Youtube in the background on an iPhone.
This brings us to the last hack of this article, which is viewing your Youtbe on your home screen using the picture-in-picture feature.
How to use the picture-in-picture feature for Youtube?
Before we discuss how, let us brief you, what a picture-in-picture feature is and what does it do. Picture-in-picture is a feature that shrinks the video into a smaller player, which you can drag anywhere on your homescreen. With this feature turned on, you can continue watching the video you are watching in a smaller player on your home screen while using other applications on your phone. For example, you will be able to watch the video, while going through your email, etc.
Once you enable the PIP feature on your Youtube app, you can open the video on Youtube and exit to the home screen. Instead of stopping your video, the Youtube player will shrink into a Picture-in-picture window. If you wish to exit or go back to the app, just tap on the PIP window and it will take you to the application.
Enabling picture-in-picture on android
However, this option is available to only those android users who are either subscribed members of Youtube or American citizens using Android Oreo or greater along with ad-supported PIP playback.
If your android system fits in the category or you are a subscribed member, then follow the steps given below to enable the picture-in-picture feature.
If you are using Android 8.0 or greater, the picture-in-picture feature would be enabled by default. In case, if it’s not, then:
Step 1: Go on settings
Step 2: Tap on “Apps and Notifications”
Step 3: Find Youtube and tap on it
Step 4:Here you’ll find, “Advance settings” tap on it
Step 5: Tap on “Special app access”
Step 6: Tap on “Picture-in-Picture” to enable.
How to use the Picture-in-Picture feature on an iPhone?
While the feature is in-built by default in android phones that run on Oreo 8.0 and above and is also free for those users, regardless of if they are Youtube subscribers or not. However, only the iPhone devices that are updated to IOS14 will be able to enable the PIP feature and only the subscribed members can take benefit from it.
So if your iPhone is updated to IOS 14 and you have subscribed Youtube member, follow the steps below to enable the picture-in-picture feature on your iPhone.
Step 1: Log in to your Google account first and then open YouTube.com/new on Safari
Step 2: Find PIP in IOS and tap on the “Try it out” option.
Step 3: Open your Youtbe application and open your desired video
Step 4: Once the video starts, either swipe up or tap the home screen button. This should shrink the Youtube player and bring it to your home screen.
If you are using the lock screen feature along with PIP, your video may pause, when you press the home screen button or swipe up, to bring it in the PIP window, however, you can play it again and the video will keep playing even if the screen lock is enabled. With the tree hacks explained fully step by step, including how to lock Youtube screen, it’s time to conclude this short Youtube hack guide. We hope that the information given above would come in handy and would prove helpful.
