Fix: Picture in Picture Not Working on iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max

Suppose you’re watching your favorite show on Netflix and suddenly get an email from your boss. Not responding to the email could land you in trouble on the next working day. So, you may have to close Netflix and respond to that email first unless you’re using picture-in-picture (PIP) on your iPhone. It’s a great multitasking feature, allowing users to watch a video or do a video call while using other apps on the device.

Picture-in-picture (PIP) mode works smoothly on iPhones, including the latest iPhone 15 series models. But, sometimes, it stops working because of various reasons. If the picture in picture mode is not working on your iPhone, worry not. There are several ways to resolve the problem, which I’ll take you through in this easy-to-understand guide.

Why Is Picture in Picture Not Working On My iPhone 15?

PIP is not enabled: In order to use PIP on your Apple iPhone 15, you have to enable it from the Settings app. Not doing so won’t allow the app to work in picture-in-picture mode.
The app doesn’t support PIP: Not all iOS apps are compatible to work in the picture-in-picture mode. So, if the app is not working in picture-in-picture, it could be possible that it lacks support for it.
PIP is not enabled from the app settings: Enabling the picture-in-picture from the Settings app alone might not be enough. In some apps, you must enable it from the in-app settings to work in the picture-in-picture mode.
Software bugs: An iOS bug could trigger issues with picture-in-picture functions. If not the iOS bug, the app may have problems showing content in the PIP mode.

So, these are some common reasons that could trigger problems with picture-in-picture on your iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, or 15 Pro Max. Now that you know the potential causes, it’s time to test some troubleshooting methods.

How to Fix if Picture in Picture Not Working on iPhone 15?

To enter the picture in picture mode, play a video or do a video call and swipe up from the bottom of the screen. The video should continue to play in a small window.

If the picture in the picture window does not appear, try these solutions to resolve it on your iPhone.

1. Restart Your iPhone

We’ll begin our troubleshooting with a method you may have heard about multiple times – restart the device. Sometimes, the device has minor glitches that could trigger issues with the picture in picture mode.

To ensure that there are no software glitches or conflicts, restart your iPhone. A fresh reboot is all it takes to fix most issues on a smartphone. So, it’s worth giving it a try.

To restart your iPhone 15, follow these steps:

Press and hold the side button and either of the volume buttons until you see a slider.
Drag the slider to power off your iPhone.
Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo on your screen.

Check if the problem has been resolved.

2. Check In-App Settings

If you have enabled picture-in-picture from the Settings app, but it is still not working, you probably haven’t enabled it in the app you’re using.

Let’s take the example of YouTube. If you have enabled picture-in-picture from your iPhone Settings, YouTube videos won’t appear in the PIP window. You need to toggle on the Picture-in-picture option in the YouTube app settings.

Similarly, you have to go through the settings of the app you’re using to find the picture-in-picture option and enable it (if it’s not already).

3. Manually Enter the Picture-in-Picture Mode

If your iPhone is still not showing the video in the picture-in-picture mode after swiping up from the bottom of your iPhone screen, you can do it manually.

While you’re playing a video, switch to the full-screen mode and tap on the PIP icon in the upper-left corner of your screen. The video should continue playing in a small window.

If you can’t find the PIP icon, try other solutions.

4. Close and Restart the App

Sometimes, the picture in picture mode does not work due to minor app glitches, or there could be conflicts with other apps. A simple yet effective solution here is to close the app and restart it.

Also, if you have enabled the picture-in-picture settings on your iPhone, you may need to restart the app for the chances to take place.

Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen to the middle to bring the App Switcher. You’ll see a list of apps running on your iPhone. Swipe up an app to remove it from the memory. Once done, launch the app again and try opening it in a PIP window.

5. Enable Background App Refresh

If Background App Refresh is disabled, your iPhone may prevent the app from running in the background. For an app to work in PIP mode, you must enable this option, as most of its processes are required to be running in the background.

Enabling the Background App Refresh ensures that your iPhone is not limiting background activities for any app.

Steps to enable Background App Refresh on your iPhone:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to General and tap on it.
Tap on Background App Refresh. You’ll see a list of apps. Ensure that the app you’re using for PIP is toggled on.
Tap on Background App Refresh again.
Choose Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.

Check if the app works in the picture-in-picture mode.

6. Disable Low Data Mode

Low Data Mode on iPhones helps reduce cellular data usage by automatically reducing background data usage for most apps. It could limit background data for the videos in the picture-in-picture. Disable it to check if it resolves the problem.

How to disable Low Data Mode on iPhone:

Go to the Settings app.
Go to Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode.
Choose Standard or Allow More Data on 5G.

If you face picture-in-picture issues with WhatsApp, go to WhatsApp settings > Storage and Data and toggle off “Use Less Data for Calls”.

7. Update Your iPhone and the App

If you are still struggling to use the picture in picture mode on your iPhone 15, ensure that the app is up-to-date. Using an outdated app is likely to have bugs and problems. Hence, update the app to check if the latest version can resolve PIP issues.

Launch the App Store on your iPhone.
Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
Scroll down to the Available Updates section.
Tap the Update button next to the app you want to update.

You should update all pending updates. Updating apps on mobile data can be costly if you have a limited data plan. Hence, I recommend Wi-Fi for this purpose.

Even after updating apps, if the problem persists, there might be an iOS bug triggering picture-in-picture issues. Updating your iPhone could resolve this bug.

How to update your iPhone:

Make sure your iPhone is connected to the internet.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap on General and click Software Update.
Click Download and Install.

8. Reinstall the App

If you had no luck with the above solutions, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app you’re having the PIP problem with. It ensures that there are no corrupted app files and corrupted cache causing the problem.

Long-press the app icon and choose Remove App.
Tap on Delete App to remove this app from your phone.
Go to the App Store and download the app.

9. Reset Your iPhone

If reinstalling the app does not help, you’re probably left with resetting your iPhone as a potential solution. It shouldn’t be your go-to method. Always try to fix the problem without factory resetting the device, as it causes data loss.

Before resetting your iPhone, you should check if the app supports picture-in-picture. If the app doesn’t support it, resetting your iPhone won’t have any effect. You can use Google to find out the answer or reach out to the app developer.

Performing a factory reset will remove everything stored on your iPhone, including photos, videos, documents, and installed apps. Hence, take a backup of important files before a factory reset.

Steps to factory reset your iPhone:

Open the Settings app and select General.
Click Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
Click Continue and confirm your lock screen.
Wait for the backup to complete. You can skip it by tapping on Skip Backup.
Enter your Apple ID password and click Turn Off.
Tap on Erase iPhone.

Conclusion

Whether you’re having trouble with PIP not working in a specific app or it’s a more widespread issue, this guide provides effective troubleshooting methods to address the issue. If you have any questions, write them in the comments below.

Do not forget to check out our Apple section for awesome tips, tricks, and troubleshooting guides for your iPhone.