YouTube’s new minimalist miniplayer which just launched on iOS can be tucked away to either screen edge, similar to Apple’s native picture-in-picture window.
Google says it has designed the new miniplayer based on the feedback it has received from people who deemed the old miniplayer too obtrusive, rightfully so.
The revamped miniplayer is detached from the bottom bar, which was too obtrusive in the first place and the main source of frustration. It has been replaced with a floating window with just the Play/Pause button and Close buttons overlaid on top and the 10-second rewind/skip buttons below the miniplayer. The red progress line below the miniplayer is still present.
YouTube for iOS rolling out a minimalist miniplayer redesign with picture-in-picture functionality
This picture-in-picture mode is an internal feature; don’t confuse it with Apple’s native picture-in-picture that lets you watch a video while working in another app. YouTube’s picture-in-picture supports watching a clip in a floating window while browsing the rest of YouTube, but it only works within the app.
You can resize the miniplayer to fit the width of your device’s screen and move it around within the app with it snapping in place. Unfortunately, you cannot position the miniplayer anywhere, it can only be put in one of the screen corners.
We heard your feedback & we’re making some updates to the miniplayer experience.
Now when you hide the miniplayer, your video will be paused & when the miniplayer is visible again, it’ll pick up right where it left off!
The design has been also been given a little refresh 💫 https://t.co/iNH3NAIZXp
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) May 13, 2025
You could watch a video while browsing the app with the old miniplayer; however, it was fixed in place and very obtrusive. You can resize the new miniplayer, like before, and tuck it away to the left or right side of your screen, which wasn’t possible before, with only a small pull-tab visible.
One quirky thing is Google’s claim that “when you hide the miniplayer, your video will be paused and when the miniplayer is visible again, it’ll pick up right where it left off.” This has not been my experience. If I hide the miniplayer, the video along with its audio continues playing.
How to get YouTube’s modernized miniplayer
The modernized miniplayer is now available in with version 20.20.5 of the YouTube app. The same minimalist miniplayer design debuted in YouTube for Android in October 2024 with version 20.19.37.
If you don’t see the new miniplayer in YouTube for iPhone or iPad, be sure to update your installed copy of the app by clicking “Update” on YouTube’s App Store page. If you don’t see that option, you already have the latest version.
