How To Fix Picture In Picture Not Working On Android
Below you will find various methods for fixing the Picture in Picture Mode problem on your Android device. The PIP mode is one of the most useful tools we can have in our arsenal when it comes to multitasking. By using this feature, you could interact with two apps at the same time, the one in PIP would act as an overlay over the background app.
The PIP window can be dragged and placed anywhere on your screen. Additionally, some apps allow you to increase their size to a certain extent. It was previously only used by media players, but now it is used by apps from other domains, such as maps, cabs, and food aggregators.
It is not free from its fair share of issues, however, in spite of all the goodies it offers. There have been a few instances where Picture in Picture has not performed as expected on an Android device. In case you’re also experiencing this issue, this guide will help you resolve it.
Fix Picture in Picture not working on Android
You should try each of the below-mentioned workarounds and see which one works best for you. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get started.
1: Restart Device
This fix is hated by all of us, isn’t it? The pecking order usually places this fix at the top of the list, regardless of the issue you are searching for. The majority of users already have this fix before searching online for their issue. If you aren’t one of them, restart your device once and then verify whether Picture in Picture Mode is working on your device. Move on to our next fix if it’s still not working.
2: Toggle Device’s Picture in Picture Mode
You should then consider disabling and re-enabling the PIP feature built into the OS. By doing this, we will be able to refresh its underlying settings and hopefully resolve the issue we are currently facing. Check out the results after following the below-listed steps.
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Go to Settings > Apps > Special App Access > Picture in Picture Mode.
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Select the desired app from this list and disable the toggle next to Picture in Picture Mode.
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Once that’s done, wait a few seconds and re-enable the toggle.
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Your Android device might not work in Picture in Picture Mode after installing this.
3: Toggle App’s Picture in Picture Mode
If the Picture in Picture (PIP) mode is functioning properly, then one should consider toggling the PIP mode for the app in question. This can usually be done in the app’s settings menu. For reference, let’s take YouTube as an example:
- launch YouTube, tap on your profile, and select Settings. Then navigate to the General tab, and disable the toggle next to Picture in Picture. Doing so should ensure the app no longer uses the PIP mode.
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Afterwards, wait a few seconds and re-enable the toggle.
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If Picture in Picture Mode is now working on your Android device, check it out.
4: Delete Cache
In the event that a large amount of temporary data accumulates over the course of time, it could not only slow down the app but could also interfere with its proper operation. Consequently, you should consider deleting the cached data and then rechecking the results.
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Go to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Select the desired app.
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You should then go to its Storage and Cache menu and select Delete Cache. Start the application now.
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You should check to see if it fixes the Picture in Picture Mode issue on your Android device.
5: Use Safe Mode
There are times when a third party or service may conflict with the PIP mode. YouTube, for example, experienced this issue a few years ago. Therefore, you should consider booting your device into Safe Mode and then checking out the result [please note that this workaround will only work for system apps].
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Press the power button for a long period of time to bring up the power menu.
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Hold down the Restart button for a few seconds. A Safe Mode prompt will appear, tap OK to proceed.
6: Switch to Default Launcher
The fact that gestures do not work as expected on third-party launchers is not a secret. However, gestures are not the only aspect that is affected by these custom launchers. Other elements that interact with the display in a customizable manner are also negatively affected. You might want to consider switching to the default launcher using the following steps and then evaluating the results.
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Select Settings > Apps > Default Home App from the menu.
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Select the default launcher for your device.
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You should check to see if it fixes the Picture in Picture Mode issue on your Android device.
7: Delete Data
You will be plagued by quite a few issues if you have corrupted the app data or its configuration settings, including the one we are currently experiencing. Therefore, you should consider deleting the data and letting the app repopulate a fresh instance from scratch. Here are some suggestions on how to achieve this:
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Go to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Select the desired app.
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After that, go to its Storage and Cache and select Delete Data > Delete.
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Launch the app and verify that Picture in Picture Mode works on your Android device.
8: Downgrade App
A developer may roll out a buggy update which may result in the loss of certain functionality of the application. The developer would subsequently release a patch to resolve this issue, however, it might take some time. As a result, you are able to bypass the waiting queue and directly downgrade the app to its earlier working version. Here is how you might accomplish it [if it’s a system application, you might want to check out this guide instead].
- Go to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Once you have selected Uninstall > Uninstall, tap on it.
- It is now necessary to download and install its older version from a trusted third-party website.
- You may then visit the Google Play Store, search for that application, tap on the overflow icon, and uncheck the Enable Auto-Update checkbox.
That’s all. You could fix Picture in Picture Mode not working on your Android device using these various methods. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the aforementioned steps. Please leave a comment. Our team will get back to you as soon as possible with a solution.
