When you’ve spent as many years as I have under the hood of Samsung devices, you start to notice a pattern: every generation brings more power, but only those who know where to look truly unlock it. The Galaxy S25 is no different. Beneath its polished frame and stunning display lies a multitasking beast, and Picture-in-Picture mode is one of those features that separates casual users from true power users.
Sure, anyone can swipe and tap, but mastering PiP on the Galaxy S25 means turning everyday tasks into seamless, fluid experiences.
Whether you’re hopping between video calls and navigation apps, or streaming tutorials while taking notes, knowing how to enable and properly configure PiP isn’t just a neat trick, it’s essential.
In this guide, I’m not just walking you through the basics; I’m giving you the technician’s roadmap to making your S25 work smarter, faster, and sharper than most users ever will.
What Is Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode?
If you’ve ever juggled two tasks at once and wished your phone could keep up, let me introduce you to one of Samsung’s most underrated weapons: Picture-in-Picture mode, or as the pros call it, PiP.
At its core, PiP Mode is a multitasking feature that lets you shrink certain apps, like video players, maps, and video calls, into a small, moveable window that floats on top of whatever else you’re doing. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s a tactical tool built for users who demand more out of their devices than just pretty screens and fast processors.
Imagine this: you’re watching a YouTube tutorial while adjusting settings in your camera app, or keeping an eye on a live sports stream while texting your friends.
Normally, you’d be stuck switching back and forth, wasting seconds that add up to frustration. With PiP, that’s ancient history. You keep both tasks visible, active, and ready at your fingertips, no compromises.
Now, here’s something most people don’t realize, Samsung didn’t just slap this feature onto the Galaxy S25 as an afterthought. They refined it.
Thanks to the device’s smarter RAM handling and One UI’s evolved app layering, the PiP experience is silk-smooth, with almost no lag or frame drops, even when you’re hammering the phone with other heavy tasks. That’s no accident, it’s engineering done right.
One thing to remember though: not every app is PiP-ready out of the box. Some apps, like YouTube, require a Premium subscription for full PiP access.
Others may need you to dive into settings and manually flip a few switches (don’t worry, I’ll walk you through that like a real tech). The bottom line? If you set it up correctly, PiP isn’t just a “cool feature”, it’s a genuine productivity booster that can make your Galaxy S25 feel like a mini workstation in your pocket.
In my experience, users who master PiP early on tend to unlock far more value from their devices, while everyone else is still fumbling between apps like it’s 2015. Trust me, once you get used to it, there’s no going back.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enable PiP Mode
Look, if you want your Galaxy S25 to work like it’s meant for real multitasking, you can’t just scratch the surface, you’ve got to set it up properly. Picture-in-Picture (PiP) is one of those hidden gems that, once unlocked, takes your user experience from “average” to “pro-level.”
Here’s the technician’s way to do it, no fluff, no missed steps.
Step 1: Jump Straight into Settings
First things first, pull down your notification shade and tap the gear icon, no need to fumble around looking for the Settings app. The faster you get there, the faster you start running circles around the average user.
Step 2: Navigate to Apps
- Once you’re inside Settings, scroll down and tap on Apps.
- This is your main control room, where you manage not just what apps can do, but how deep they can integrate with your system.
Step 3: Find the Hidden Door, Special Access
Now here’s a move most casual users miss:
- Tap the three dots at the top right corner.
- From the dropdown menu, select Special access.
- Samsung doesn’t exactly put this setting under a flashing neon sign, but if you know where to look, you’re already ahead of the game.
Step 4: Tap Into Picture-in-Picture
- Inside Special Access, you’ll see a list of advanced permissions.
- Find and tap Picture-in-Picture.
- This is where your real multitasking muscle starts to show. You’ll see a list of apps that either already have PiP capability or can be granted it manually.
Step 5: Flip the Right Switches
Pick the apps you actually want floating around while you multitask, not everything needs PiP enabled.
For example:
- YouTube
- Google Maps
- Chrome
- Samsung Internet
- Tap on each app individually and toggle ON Allow Picture-in-Picture.
- No guessing, no “maybe it’ll work”, you’re now explicitly granting permission.
Step 6: Test It Like a Pro
- After enabling PiP, don’t just assume it’s active.
- Open an app like YouTube or Maps, start a video or a navigation, and then press the Home button (or swipe up if you use gesture navigation).
- The window should automatically shrink down into a small, movable box.
Setting up PiP mode isn’t about flipping random switches and hoping for the best, it’s about knowing why each step matters and making your Galaxy S25 work the way it was engineered to.
When you set it up right, with technician-level precision, PiP mode transforms from a simple convenience into a serious productivity weapon. Trust me: once you have PiP fully dialed in, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Use Built In Compass on Galaxy S25
Conclusion
At the end of the day, enabling and mastering Picture-in-Picture mode on the Samsung Galaxy S25 isn’t about ticking a few settings on and hoping for the best, it’s about knowing exactly how your device ticks under the hood.
You’re not just a user; you’re the pilot. And PiP? That’s one of your precision tools.
If you’ve followed the steps, tackled the common snags, and tuned your system like a true technician would, you’re already operating on a level most people never reach. Smooth multitasking, video calls while navigating, mini browsers while messaging, all flowing effortlessly, like it should on a machine this powerful.
Remember: great tech doesn’t just work for you; it works with you when you understand it.
The Galaxy S25 is packed with capabilities waiting for someone who knows how to truly unlock them.
So next time you’re gliding a PiP window across your screen while running two or three apps in the background, know this, you’re not just using your phone. You’re commanding it like a seasoned pro.
And that’s exactly what sets real Samsung experts apart from the crowd.