Netflix PiP on iPhone Starts When You Leave the App
Netflix PiP on iPhone starts when you leave the app. Play something, then go to your home screen or open another app, and the video shrinks into a small window that keeps playing.
That is how Netflix describes it on its own help page: “Picture in picture turns on when you navigate to your device’s home screen or switch to another app while Netflix is playing.”
Two things stop it before you start. Your iPhone needs iOS 14 or later with the latest Netflix app, and your account cannot be on an ad supported Netflix experience, which Netflix prints as “Picture in picture is not available on iPhone or iPad while on an ad-supported Netflix experience.”
How the small window works on an iPhone
You can move the window or change its size by dragging it or by pinching it. Netflix’s page says: “You can move or resize the player window by dragging it or using a pinch-to-zoom gesture.”
You can pause, fast forward and rewind without leaving the window. To go back to the full size player, tap the PiP button.
The page puts it this way: “You can pause, fast forward, or rewind playback while in picture-in-picture mode.” and “To bring back the full-size player, tap the PiP button.”
What your iPhone needs
You need a supported device on a supported system with the current app. In Netflix’s words: “You’ll need one of the devices listed below on a supported operating system (OS), and the latest version of the Netflix app installed.”
For an iPhone the table says iOS 14 or later, and for an iPad it says iPadOS 14 or later. A supported system is the floor, because the same page adds “Not all devices support picture in picture, even on a supported OS version.”
If an update will not finish on your phone, see what to do when an iPhone is stuck on preparing update.
Check your plan before anything else
Open your Netflix account page and look at which plan you are on. Netflix makes this the first troubleshooting step for iPhone owners: “Go to your Netflix account to check your current Netflix plan. If you use an Android device, skip this step.”
On Netflix’s plans page the plan whose feature line opens “Ad-supported” is Standard with ads, and the same page prices extra member slots with ads or without ads. It also prints: “The Basic plan has been discontinued. You can change your plan at any time.”
If Netflix comes with a package or through another company, ask the company you pay. The plans page says: “If you have Netflix with a package or through a third-party, check with your provider to confirm if an ad-supported experience is available.”
Netflix PiP not working on iPhone: the six checks in order
When the window never appears, Netflix gives six checks under one condition: “If picture-in-picture mode isn’t working on your mobile device, follow these steps:”. In order they are the plan, the device, the settings, a force close, an update and a restart.
1. Check your plan
That is the account check in the section above. On an ad supported experience, PiP stays off on iPhone and iPad.
2. Check your device
Confirm your iPhone runs iOS 14 or later, which is the device check: “Make sure you’re using a mobile device that supports Netflix picture in picture and is running a supported version”. The same step notes that not every device supports it even on a supported system.
3. Check your settings
On your iPhone open Settings, tap General, tap Picture in Picture, and make sure Start PiP Automatically is turned on. Then try Netflix again.
Netflix’s step 3 opens with: “Your device or app settings might have picture in picture turned off. You may need to adjust these settings to make it work.”
4. Force close the app
Netflix prints this step with Android screens only, from the Android Home Screen through Application Manager to Force Stop. The page gives no iPhone gesture for this step.
5. Update the app
Update the Netflix app. The step reads “Make sure the latest version of the Netflix app is installed on your mobile device.” and links Netflix’s own update page for iPhone or iPad.
6. Restart the phone
Power the phone all the way off, then back on, and open Netflix again. The step reads “Turn off your phone or tablet.” and a locked screen does not count as off in Netflix’s step.
When all six are done and the window still never shows, the page says under Having trouble?: “If you’ve followed the steps above and picture in picture still doesn’t work, contact us for more help.”
PiP on a TV, a streaming box or a browser is a different thing
Netflix describes PiP as a feature of its mobile app. Some smart TVs, streaming boxes and browsers offer their own small window, built by the device maker or other software, and Netflix says those “may not work or behave as expected.”
The full line reads: “Some smart TVs, streaming devices, and browsers offer picture-in-picture features created by the manufacturer or enabled by other software. Since these are not built by Netflix, they may not work or behave as expected.”
For help with those, check the manual that came with the device or contact the company that made it, which is where Netflix sends you too.
If you watch over cellular or a hotspot, see hotspot Low Data Mode and how much data a laptop uses on a hotspot. To capture what is on screen instead, see how to record your screen on an iPhone.
Where Netflix’s page stops
It prints no swipe gesture. The words swipe and swiping do not appear on the page, and the trigger it gives is going to the home screen or another app.
It prints no orientation rule. Landscape, portrait, orientation and rotate are all absent from the page.
It prints no Control Center step, and its force close step names Android screens only.
Both Netflix pages behind this article carry the line “A country must be selected to view content in this article.” and were read as served for the US.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on Netflix PiP on an iPhone?
Play a title, then go to the home screen or switch apps, and the video shrinks on its own. If it never shrinks, open Settings, tap General, tap Picture in Picture, and turn on Start PiP Automatically, which is Netflix’s step 3 for iPhone or iPad.
Why is Netflix PiP missing on my iPhone?
Check the plan first, because PiP “is not available on iPhone or iPad while on an ad-supported Netflix experience.” Then confirm iOS 14 or later, remembering Netflix’s note that not every device supports it even on a supported system.
How do I close the Netflix PiP window?
Use the close control in the window. Netflix’s page prints one line for it: “Tap the button to stop and close Netflix.”
Can I make the Netflix PiP window bigger?
Yes. Drag the window or use a pinch to zoom gesture to move it or resize it, and tap the PiP button to go back to the full size player.
I get Netflix through my internet or TV package. Does the plan rule still apply?
Ask your provider whether your package is an ad supported experience, which is what Netflix’s plans page tells you to do. If it has ads, Netflix’s PiP rule for iPhone applies.