How to Exit Picture in Picture on Apple TV
To exit Picture in Picture on Apple TV, press the TV button on your Siri Remote, then select the Close button that appears onscreen. The small video window disappears and that video stops playing.
The TV button sits below the clickpad on the Siri Remote, under the Back button. These steps follow Apple’s tvOS 26 guide for controlling video playback on Apple TV 4K.
How do you close Picture in Picture on an Apple TV?
Picture in Picture puts a video in a small window in the lower right corner while you browse or watch something else on the main screen.
Closing that small window takes three steps.
- Press the TV button on your Siri Remote. It carries a small television icon and sits below the clickpad, under the Back button.
- Select the Close button that appears onscreen over the small picture.
- The small window disappears and that video stops.
This path controls the smaller picture. When your focus is on the large video in the background, use the control bar path further down this page.
Full Screen is the control to use when you want that video to keep playing.
How do you return Picture in Picture to full screen instead of closing it?
Close ends that video. Full Screen keeps it playing and hands it the whole screen.
- Press the TV button on your Siri Remote.
- Select the Full Screen button that appears onscreen.
- The small video expands to fill your screen and keeps playing.
How do you close Picture in Picture from the large video instead?
The large video in the background has its own path to the same controls.
- Rest your finger on the clickpad of your Siri Remote to show the playback controls on the main video.
- Select the Picture in Picture button in that control bar.
- Select Close from the pop up menu.
That same pop up menu also holds Swap and Move for rearranging the two videos.
Swiping up on the clickpad while those playback controls are showing is also how you turn on subtitles on Apple TV.
What does each Picture in Picture control do?
Four controls handle Picture in Picture, and only one of them ends playback.
Which ones you see depends on where your focus is. Pressing the TV button on the small picture gives you Move, Full Screen, and Close. The pop up menu on the large video gives you Swap, Move, and Close.
| Control | What it does | Video keeps playing |
|---|---|---|
| Close | Removes the small window | No |
| Full Screen | Expands it to the whole screen | Yes |
| Move | Sends it to another corner | Yes |
| Swap | Trades the large and small pictures | Yes |
How do you move the Picture in Picture window to a different corner?
The small window opens in the lower right corner. Move shifts it when it covers something you need, such as the row you use to get to the next episode on Apple TV.
- Press the TV button on your Siri Remote.
- Select the Move button that appears onscreen.
- Each additional select sends the small picture to the next corner.
- Press the Back button once the window sits where you want it.
How do you swap which video plays the audio?
Only one video plays sound at a time in Picture in Picture.
- Press the TV button on your Siri Remote to send audio to the small picture.
- Press the Back button to send audio back to the large picture.
Picture in Picture also lets you browse your library on Apple TV for something new while the small video keeps going.
Picture in Picture will not close. What now?
Work through these in order when the TV button and Close do not respond.
- Press the TV button again and wait a few seconds. A busy app can be slow to show its controls.
- Force quit the app that started Picture in Picture. Double press the TV button to open the app switcher, swipe up on the clickpad to close that app, then reopen it.
- Restart your Apple TV. Open Settings, select System, then select Restart.
- Update your software. Open Settings, select System, select Software Updates, select Update Software, then select Download and Install.
Apple TV has no single setting that turns Picture in Picture off everywhere. Apple also states that Picture in Picture viewing may not be available in all apps, so the button will be missing in some of them.
The clickpad hold for more options on Apple TV is the same touch surface that brings up the playback controls, so getting comfortable with it makes every one of these steps faster.
Frequently asked questions
Does closing Picture in Picture stop the video?
Yes. Selecting Close ends playback for that video. Select Full Screen instead when you want to keep watching it.
Can you turn off Picture in Picture completely on Apple TV?
Apple TV has no setting that disables Picture in Picture across every app. You close each window as it comes up, using the TV button and the onscreen Close button.
Why is there no Picture in Picture button when I show playback controls?
Apple states that Picture in Picture viewing may not be available in all apps. A missing button means that app does not support it for the video you are watching.
What is the TV button on the Siri Remote?
It is the button with a small television icon, below the clickpad and under the Back button. Pressing it opens the Apple TV app, and pressing and holding it opens Control Center. While Picture in Picture is active, pressing it brings up the controls for the small window.
Which corner does the Picture in Picture window use?
It opens in the lower right corner of the screen. The Move control sends it to the other corners one select at a time.