A new Google Chrome extension allows desktop users to take advantage of a feature already enjoyed by YouTube’s mobile users. It’s called YouTube Picture in Picture, and it lets viewers pin their current videos to the bottom of the screen as they continue to browse the site.
The new extension brings the picture-in-picture capabilities of the latest version of the YouTube app to Chrome browsers. Active vdeos automatically minimize when users enter new search terms, and from there, they can be popped back to the center of the screen with a single click. Viewers can also send new videos directly to the picture-in-picture window by selecting an appropriate option from a right-click drop-down menu. Leaving YouTube entirely causes the minimized video to stop playing.
The extension’s simple design is on display in a demo video that can be found on the YouTube Picture in Picture app page:
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While YouTube Picture in Picture is still in beta, it is completely functional, with CNET describing it as “stable and dead simple to use.” If you’d like to make your YouTube browsing experience more fluid, head over to the Chrome web store.
