Google Chrome Desktop version 85 introduced a neat feature which lets users play video via picture-in-picture view. You can use this to create a dedicated hovering window that can be resized so you can continue your Netflix, YouTube, and other digital video content consumption while working.
If you wanted to have picture-in-picture (PiP) prior to this update, you would have to do so with third-party extensions. However, Google has now extended the feature with first-party support that comes bundled with Google Chrome version 85.
How to play picture-in-picture in Google Chrome Desktop
To check your version of Google Chrome, all you have to do is type chrome://settings/help in the address bar of your Chrome Browser.
If you aren’t already on the latest version, Google will download and install the latest version for you automatically. Once installed, you’ll be prompted to restart the browser.
If you still don’t have the extension despite being on Google Chrome version 85, you can download the extension for free from Google’s own store at the Chrome Web Store.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxCw-vvmIiI?feature=oembed&w=640&h=480]
Once you have it installed, all you have to do is look for the Music Note icon with the 3 dashes to the left, as shown by the red circle in the image below.
For the next step, depending on what you want as a hovering window, click on the PiP button denoted by the Yellow and Green circles of a tab that is currently playing content.
With that, you can now use the hovering windows when switching between tabs.
Or even if you are on the desktop doing some cleaning.
As long as you don’t close the tab that is playing the content, you are all set.
If you want to dismiss the player, you can press the X at the top right of the window, or the PiP icon denoted by the orange circles in the screenshot below. Green will let you pause and play your content.
Unfortunately, in this mode, you will be unable to view closed captions, subtitles or any form of text as that isn’t supported yet within the video.
This means if you have any content which you prefer viewing with those features you will have to watch it in its dedicated tab.
You also are limited to the size of the window as you can’t make the window grow past a certain size.