Almost all the OTT and video streaming platforms available for smartphones now support PiP mode. This allows users to do some other work while also seeing their favorite content opened up in the small window at the corner of their screen.
Picture in Picture mode is available for Netflix as well. This means you can reply to chats, open a browser and your favorite Netflix movie won’t be paused.
PiP mode works on almost all Android and iOS devices (of course skipping those running on iOS 14 or Android 14).
Though this feature is common to all the currently running devices, many users have reported that Picture in Picture mode is not working on Netflix.
If you are stuck with the same issue then this article will guide you on how to fix it. Here are all the working solutions that you can follow to fix Netflix Picture in Picture not working.
1. Enable Picture in Picture Mode
You need to enable Picture in Picture mode on your device if you want to use this feature on Netflix.
Android
For Android, you can enable this feature for a particular app, i.e., for Netflix in this case. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- Tap and hold the Netflix app icon on your phone.
- Now, tap on the i button.
- In the App Info screen, tap on Picture-in-Picture.
- Enable the toggle next to Allow Permission.
iOS
For iOS, you can enable this feature system-wide for all the support apps in Settings. Below are the steps to do so-
- Tap on the Settings app icon.
- Now, tap on the General option.
- Tap on the Picture in Picture option.
- Now, turn on the toggle next to Start PiP Automatically.
2. Use PiP Mode Correctly
If the above setting is enabled and still you are facing issues with Picture in Picture mode on Netflix then probably you are using it the wrong way.
To use PiP mode, play the content on Netflix and go to the home screen using the bottom gesture bar.
Do not go back on the app, as it will pause the content, and PiP mode will not work.
If you have an Android phone and you use the navigation button instead of the gestures then press the home button at the navigation bar at the bottom while the content is being played.
This will open the Netflix window in the PiP mode on your device.
3. Relaunch Netflix App
It can be some temporary glitch causing this issue with Netflix. To fix it, you can simply relaunch the Netflix app on your device. Here’s how-
- Head back to the Home Screen by swiping up on the gesture bar at the bottom.
- Now, head to the recent app screen through swipe up and hold gestures on the gesture at the bottom bar.
- Remove the Netflix app from the recent apps.
- After this, tap on the Netflix app to open it.
- Try using Picture in Picture mode now.
Note– For users using the navigation button on their Android phone, use the navigation button at the bottom bar to head to the home screen and recent app screen.
4. Clear the Cache of Netflix
Haven’t cleared the Netflix cache for a very long time?
If Netflix’s cache is corrupted then probably that can also be the reason behind Netflix picture-in-picture not working.
Try clearing the cache of Netflix to solve the issue. To do so on Android phones, follow the steps given below-
- Tap and hold the Netflix app from the app drawer.
- Open App info by tapping on the i button.
- After this tap on the Storage option.
- Clear the cache by tapping on the Clear Cache button.
There’s no option to clear the cache on iOS. You will have to reset the Netflix app if you want its cache to be cleared on iOS.
However, this will delete all of your data from Netflix including all the movies and shows downloaded on your device.
5. Update the App
To use PiP mode on Netflix, the app must be updated to the latest version. You can update the app from the Play Store (on Android) or App Store (on iOS) and that should most probably solve this issue.
The steps to do this are mentioned below-
- If you have Android then open Play Store, and if you have iOS device then open App Store.
- Search for the Netflix on the respective store.
- You will see the Update button for Netflix if any update is available; tap on this button to update the app.
6. Restart your Device
If you have tried updating Netflix and also tried clearing its cache but seem to have no progress with the issue, then try restarting your device.
When you restart your device, all the services and apps running in the background also restart; plus it also fixes glitches in the system.
Android
To restart your Android phone, follow the steps given below-
- Press and hold the Power button.
- In the power menu, tap on Restart.
- Tap on Restart again.
- Once your phone reboots, you will be asked to enter your PIN/password to continue.
- Launch the Netflix app and try using the app in PiP mode now.
iOS
If you have an iPhone, then you can restart it by following the steps given below-
- Press and hold the Power button along with either of the Volume buttons.
- You will see a slider, drag it to turn off your phone.
- After your phone turns off, press and hold the Power button to turn it on.
- After your device is turned on, try launching the Netflix in Picture in Picture mode again.
7. Update your Device
It can be some glitch or bug with your current system software that can be causing issues with Picture in Picture mode on Netflix.
Due to underlying issues with the current system version, the features that used to work earlier no longer work properly.
To fix it, check if any system firmware update is available and install it on your device.
Android
To update your Android device to the latest version, follow the steps given below-
- Open the Settings app, and tap on Software Update.
- Tap on Download and install.
- Your device will check for the available updates.
- If any update is available, install it on your device.
iOS
To update your iOS device to the latest version, follow the steps given below-
- Head to the Settings app on your device.
- Now, tap on General and then tap on Software Update.
- If your device lists any updates, install it.
Reinstall Netflix
Tried all of the above steps but still the Netflix picture in picture mode is not working. In this case, our suggestion to you would be to uninstall the Netflix app and then reinstall it.
Android
To reinstall Netflix on Android, follow the steps given below-
- On the app drawer, tap and hold the Netflix app and then tap on Uninstall.
- In the confirmation prompt, tap on OK.
- Once Netflix is uninstalled, open the Play Store on your phone.
- Search for Netflix and tap on it from the search result.
- Tap on the Install button to install it on your device.
- Launch the app once installed and sign into your account.
Note– Ensure you enable PiP mode for Netflix on your Android phone after you reinstall it. For this, you can follow the first method in this guide.
iOS
Given below are the steps to reinstall Netflix on iOS-
- Tap and hold the Netflix app.
- Now, tap on the Remove App option.
- Tap on Delete App to uninstall the app.
- Open the App Store on your device, and then tap on the Search icon at the bottom right corner.
- Search for the Netflix app.
- Tap on the Get button next to Netflix to install it.
- After Netflix is installed, launch it on your device.
- Now, sign in to your Netflix account and try using PIP mode again.
Bottom Line
Picture in Picture mode comes in handy when you have to watch your favorite content while also doing some other work on your phone.
PiP mode is supported on almost all the major apps like Prime Video, YouTube, Netflix, etc. In case, you face issues with PiP mode on Netflix then the above guide is for you.
We have listed all the working steps to fix Netflix Picture in Picture not working, so you can follow the above steps if you face similar issues.