A complete guide to using imaging in imaging mode on iPhone

At a WWDC-only online event, Apple officially unveiled the new iOS 14. This new OS version for iPhones is packed with attention-grabbing features with multiple settings and under-the-hood changes. Some of them are home screen widgets, App Library, ability to hide home screen pages, etc. The other feature highlighted was the Picture in Picture support for iPhones. Android 8.0 Oreo phones and the highest update have been enjoying the picture in the picture since the end of 2017.

With iOS 14, you can finally watch your favorite YouTube video, Netflix program or Prime Video while you browse the operating system for other tasks. Picture in Picture is not just limited to watching video about other applications. Apple has intelligently implemented various gestures and different window sizes for Picture in Picture to improve the experience. The company also offers video control in Image in Image mode to make changes.

Picture in Picture mode is a great convenience feature for users. You don’t need to stop the video to look at the new email or reply to a WhatsApp message.

In this post, we’ll talk about how to use the picture in Image mode, its characteristics and other tips. We are going to get started.

Note: We have been using the iOS 14 public Beta for a while and we took screenshots of it on the iPhone XR.

Where the image is in the image on iOS 14 for iPhones

The image in image mode is built directly on iOS 14. The feature is activated when you try to return to the home screen using the home button or swipe gestures while watching videos.

When you watch your favorite TV series or movie on Netflix or Prime Video and get an urgent matter you need to attend, you can swipe from to go home, and Photo in Picture mode will be activated along with the gesture.

You will see a floating window with video playback on the home screen. There is a footprint. You can only activate Photo in Image when the video is playing. If you try to use a home screen gesture when the video is paused, you will close the app and not shoot Picture in Picture mode.

In which apps can I use the image in image mode

Until now, panorama in Picture mode is supported in video streaming applications like Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV + and Apple’s Safari browser. Surprisingly, YouTube is missing from the list. Do not worry. We also have a solution for that. So, stay there until the end of the post. Surprisingly, Picture in Picture support is missing from the Apple Photos app.

I’m looking forward to seeing more streaming apps joining the list as close to the iOS 14 public release in the last quarter of 2020.

What video controls do you get on the image in image mode

Apple’s image in image mode is not limited to the simple video viewing experience. You can pause the video, forward or backward the video for 15 seconds, return to the app using the expand video option in the upper right corner and close the picture in Image mode using the ‘X’ in the upper left corner.

Apple also offers a live video playback timeline in Picture in Picture mode. As of now, these controls are only visible in the company’s apps, including the Apple TV+ browser and Safari. In apps like Netflix and Prime Video, you can only see the play/pause button, live video timeline, video extender and the ability to close the video.

Gestures in the image of the image mode

Apple’s Picture in Picture mode may feel like a no-brainer at first glance, but it’s packed with smart tips and tricks for customizing your experience. For example, the company offers three images in image window mode for your preference. You need to master gestures to use the picture in Picture mode efficiently.

You can double click Image in Image window mode, and it will be reduced in size. Use the same gesture again and it will be reduced to the size of the smaller window. Use the same double-tap gesture of a finger to enlarge the image to the Image mode size.

To return to the application with the original video size, you can use a two-finger double click on Image in Image mode.

Users can also swipe left or right in Image mode in Image mode and minimize the window. The audio will continue to play in the background. You will see an arrow for an image minimized in Image mode. Tap it and move the image back in Image mode to the home screen.

How to use the image in image mode on YouTube

As I mentioned earlier, the YouTube app on iOS 14 doesn’t support the image in Image mode. There is a temporary solution. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open YouTube webpage in Safari browser.

Step 2: Sign in using your Google Account login credentials.

Step 3: Try playing any YouTube video on screen in Safari and use the swipe gesture or press the start button (If you are on older iPhones), and you will see YouTube playing the video in Picture-in-Picture mode.

Like Apple TV+, Safari offers all the options to customize the video watching experience in Picture mode. You can also hide the image in image mode and continue playing the audio in the background, something only YouTube Premium users enjoy.

Enjoy Picture in Picture on iPhone

Picture in Picture mode is a welcome addition to the iOS experience. As expected, Apple nailed the execution here. It will be interesting to see how many apps make up Picture in Picture for when Apple releases iOS 14 to the public. I would love to see apps like WhatsApp, VLC Player, Telegram boarding the Picture in Picture train.