The Floating Distraction
Apple includes a multitasking feature on the iPhone called Picture in Picture (PiP). By default, if you are watching a video in Safari or Netflix and you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to your home screen, the video does not stop. Instead, it shrinks down into a small, floating window that hovers over your app icons, continuing to play audio and video. While this is helpful if you want to watch a video while texting, it is incredibly annoying if you simply wanted to close the app and stop the video entirely. You have to explicitly find the tiny “X” to close the floating box. You can force iOS to kill the video the moment you leave the app.
How to Turn Off Picture in Picture
You can revoke the operating system’s permission to create floating video windows via the General settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Tap on Picture in Picture.
- Look for the master toggle switch labeled Start PiP Automatically.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
Immediate Video Shutdown
The change takes effect instantly. The next time you are watching a YouTube video or a movie and you swipe up to return to the home screen, the video will immediately pause and the application will close normally. The floating window will never appear again, ensuring your home screen remains clean and silent.