Netflix adds long-demanded Picture in Picture support on iPad

Streaming video service Netflix has updated its iOS app with one of the most requested features for the platform, Picture in Picture mode on the iPad.

On compatible iOS 9 tablets, the options lets people start playback inside the app but continue watching in a thumbnail view elsewhere after pressing the Home button. Pop-up commands can expand or close the window, and pause or resume playback.

Picture in Picture requires at least an iPad Air or iPad mini 2.

While Netflix has often been relatively quick to support new Apple technologies like 3D Touch, it has held off on Picture in Picture despite iPad multitasking launching with iOS 9 in September 2015. In fact the app still lacks Split View, though it does allow Slide Over.

The Netflix iOS app runs on any device with iOS 8 or later. In the U.S., subscriptions cost between $7.99 and $11.99 per month.

Follow AppleInsider on Google News

7 Comments

mike1 3431 comments · 10 Years

About 8 years ago

Personally, I can't imagine having a movie or TV show playing in the corner while I worked on something else. Either I'm watching it or I'm not. Sports (which Netflix doesn't have) would be a different story as I could keep an eye on a game while doing e-mail, for example. That's just me.

cpsro 3235 comments · 14 Years

About 8 years ago

This would be great for watching every episode of Game of Thrones, just so I can say I did.

douglas bailey 306 comments · 15 Years

About 8 years ago

I don't know why we can't do Split Screen video at the top of the screen as opposed to on the side. The ratio of screen available would be so much better than on the side.
Plus the video would not overlap anything like it does with PIP.

tyler82 1107 comments · 18 Years

About 8 years ago

YouTube? YouTube? YouTube?

Marvin 15335 comments · 18 Years

About 8 years ago

douglas bailey said:

I don't know why we can't do Split Screen video at the top of the screen as opposed to on the side. The ratio of screen available would be so much better than on the side.
Plus the video would not overlap anything like it does with PIP.

The gestures wouldn't work the same. If a split went horizontally, you couldn't switch out the apps as swipe down from the top is notifications. They'd either have to do swipe-down from the top-right or have 4-finger swipe left/right/down to switch to the app view and they'd have to change how swipe from the right animated. One gesture that would be useful is placing one finger in each panel and pinching to switch them over, which would make it quicker to switch out an unwanted app. They could restrict switching apps and enabling split view to landscape and just change to a horizontal split in portrait. Perhaps swipe in from right when a horizontal split is active can change to the app view.

The main reason I could see for PIP with Netflix is quickly switching out to another app like twitter or email to read a message without pausing the movie not to watch the movie while doing something else. It's a multi-tasking tool. With Youtube, it's useful for games as you can watch a walkthrough while playing the game.

Youtube needs a workaround:

http://wccftech.com/enable-ios-9-picture-in-picture-mode-for-youtube-ipad/

Youtube Red, the paid subscription service offers PIP, it seems to be one of the features they are using to sell the subscription.