Why Picture-in-Picture may not be blocked on Android
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) allows supported apps, especially video apps, to continue displaying content in a small floating window while you use another app.
Unfortunately, AppBlock cannot reliably block content that is already running in Picture-in-Picture mode.
Why does this happen?
Android treats Picture-in-Picture differently from a normally opened app. The content continues in a system-managed floating window while another app or your Home screen can become the active foreground screen.
Because of this, AppBlock cannot always reliably detect the PiP window as the app that should currently be blocked.
This is an Android system limitation rather than an issue with your blocking schedule.
How can I prevent Picture-in-Picture from bypassing my blocking?
The most reliable solution is to disable Picture-in-Picture for the app you want to block.
On most Android devices:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Go to Apps.
- Open Special app access.
- Select Picture-in-picture.
- Choose the app you want to restrict.
- Turn off Allow picture-in-picture.
The exact names of these settings may differ slightly depending on your phone manufacturer and Android version. If you cannot find the option, search your device Settings for Picture-in-picture.
For some apps, you can also disable PiP directly inside the app. For example, YouTube provides its own Picture-in-Picture option under its playback settings.
Once PiP is disabled, the app should no longer be able to continue displaying content in a floating window after you leave it.
