Install freeThe one-click way
- Install Picture in Picture for Videos. Free, no account, about 34 KB.
- Open any YouTube video and start playing it.
- Click the extension icon in the Chrome toolbar. The video pops out into a floating window immediately.
- Switch tabs or apps. The window stays on top. Drag it to a corner and resize it to taste.
This is the method most of our users rely on, because it does not depend on finding the right menu and it works the same on every YouTube page: watch pages, Shorts, live streams, playlists and embeds on other sites.
The built-in way: double right-click
- Right-click the video. YouTube shows its own menu (loop, copy URL, stats for nerds).
- Right-click again on the same spot. Chrome’s menu appears underneath.
- Choose “Picture in picture”.
If you forget the second click, nothing happens, which is why so many people search for “YouTube picture in picture not working”. The media controls button at the right of the toolbar is a reliable alternative: click it, then click the picture-in-picture icon next to the YouTube entry.
Picture-in-picture vs YouTube’s miniplayer
| YouTube miniplayer | Picture-in-picture | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Inside the YouTube tab | Separate window on top of everything |
| Visible in other tabs | No | Yes |
| Visible over other apps | No | Yes |
| Keeps browsing YouTube | Yes | Yes, in the original tab |
| Shortcut | i | Extension icon or your own shortcut |
What you can do in the floating window
- Play and pause from the window’s controls.
- Skip with the back and forward buttons where YouTube exposes them.
- Resize from a thumbnail to a large corner player; the aspect ratio stays locked.
- Return to the tab with the back-to-tab button, or close the window to stop.
Captions, quality and playback speed are controlled in the YouTube tab as usual, and the floating window follows along.
Common uses
- Tutorials while you code. Keep the walkthrough in the corner of your editor.
- Lectures beside your notes. Watch at 1.5x in the floating window while you type in a document.
- Music and podcasts. Pop out the video and keep an eye on the chapter you are on.
- Live streams and premieres. Chat stays in the tab; the video stays on top.
If YouTube picture-in-picture is not working
Check that Chrome is up to date, that chrome://settings/content/pictureInPicture allows the feature, and that no other video extension is interfering. The full list of fixes is in Picture-in-picture not working in Chrome. For other sites, see supported sites.
Related YouTube guides
- YouTube picture-in-picture not working: six fixes in order.
- YouTube miniplayer: bring it back, and use it on other tabs.