You can use YouTube's Picture-in-Picture (PiP) for free on iOS (with some settings tweaks) and sometimes on Android (depending on location/content), but on Android, it's a Premium feature for music/background play; the best free workaround is using a browser like Chrome to visit YouTube.com and play videos, which allows basic PiP/background audio after exiting the app or locking the device, especially if you're in the U.S. where non-music content works for free.
Turning picture-in-picture ON
If you don't have YouTube Premium and are in the United States, you can still use PiP, but you can't watch certain content, like music videos. Note: If you're outside of the US, you'll need a YouTube Premium membership to use PiP with any content on YouTube.
If you're using Android, you can find it under "Settings" > "Apps" > "YouTube" > "Advanced" > "Picture-in-Picture." Go ahead and make sure it's toggled on in both your device settings and within the YouTube app. I know how frustrating it can be when the PiP functionality doesn't work.
Using an Android
Is your YouTube Picture-in-Picture feature not working? PiP lets you see the video when you open another app or go to your Home page. If you don't see the mini player, you may need to enable it on your device or app permissions.
The "30-second rule" on YouTube refers to the critical first moments of a video, where creators must hook viewers within about 30 seconds to get them to keep watching, as YouTube registers meaningful engagement after this mark, impacting visibility and watch time. It's a key focus for audience retention, with strategies involving dynamic editing (B-roll, angles), emotional hooks, and clear value propositions, but it's distinct from copyright myths about using 30-second music clips.
If you don't see that, tap the three dots in the corner and then select Special access. On older versions of Android, tap Advanced > Special app access. Tap Picture-in-picture. Select an app from the list, then turn on the Allow picture-in-picture toggle.
YouTube premium is $18.99/mo if you purchase it through an iOS App. It's $13.99/mo if you purchase it through a web browser.
Picture-in-Picture (PiP)
You can use PiP to watch all videos and Shorts with a YouTube Premium membership. If you don't have YouTube Premium and you're in the U.S., you can still use PiP except on certain content such as music videos. Learn more about how to use picture-in-picture on your mobile device.
Picture-in-picture (PiP) allows you to continue watching YouTube TV while using other apps on your mobile device.
One of the biggest limitations of split-screen functionality is that not all apps are compatible with it. This means that you can only use the split-screen feature with certain apps, limiting its usefulness. In some cases, even if an app is compatible, it may not function properly while in split-screen mode.
Go to Settings > General > Picture in Picture, then turn off Start PiP Automatically.
1.1 Download PIP
So, in this sense, the answer is no; websites cant detect user activities like screen capture. However, if the website has you download some software and install it, it can most probably recognize external screen capture tools being used on their web pages (if they want to).
A YouTube shadowban refers to the platform's algorithmic suppression of a channel or its content without notifying the creator.