How to enable "Picture-in-Picture" mode in Google Chrome

In macOS Sierra, Apple introduced the "Picture-in-Picture" mode for the Safari browser. The usefulness of this function is not worth denying, however Safari is not the most popular browser, despite the fact that it is rather fast and resource-saving. Most Mac users use the Chrome browser as their primary, because it's more convenient.

Unfortunately, while there is no support for Picture-in-Picture mode in Chrome, the company is already working on the function for all platforms at once. At the moment the regime is under development, but you can already experience it.

To do this, you need to install a version of Chrome Canary, which contains some bugs and problems, but you will get access to all the possible functions of the browser. Below we'll explain in more detail how to enable the Picture in Picture mode in Chrome.

How to enable "Picture-in-Picture" mode in Google Chrome

Step 1:  Download and install the latest version of Chrome Canary for Mac  from here .Step 2:  Now you need to make some settings in the browser.

Step 3:  Insert the following links in turn into the address bar of the browser and enable all options.

Reference 1:

chrome: // flags / # enable-experimental-web-platform-features

This link activates the experimental browser functions that are in development.

Reference 2:

chrome: // flags / # enable-surfaces-for-videos

Changes the VideoLayer platform to Surface, which is necessary to activate the mode.

Reference 3:

chrome: // flags / # enable-picture-in-picture

This link will activate the mode.

When you insert all the links, restart the browser to apply the changes.

Step 4:  This is not all. Now go to GitHub and download  this extension for Chrome . After that, go to the Chrome page with extensions under the link below and enable the "Developer mode" option.

chrome: // extensions

Step 5:  Install the previously downloaded extension by clicking  Load Unpacked .

Now select the folder in which you extracted the contents of the zip file with the extension. After installing it, you can play any video using the "Picture-in-Picture" mode by pressing the special button next to the address bar while this video is launched on the tab. The player will automatically appear in a small size in the corner of the screen.

On popular sites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc., the PiP player will work automatically, but there may be exceptions. Since the mode is still in development, problems can arise with it. The biggest disadvantage at the moment is that the mode can only play the first video on the tab.

All subsequent videos will be played on the main browser window. In addition, if you leave this window, the video will turn off.

The PiP player itself is also limited: you can not change its size or move it around the screen. However, the feature is still in development, and Google will certainly fix all problems before releasing it publicly.

Google will also provide access to the PiP API for developers so that they can add support for the mode to their sites. Most likely, the function will be released publicly only in August this year, along with the beta version of Chrome 68 or the public version of Chrome 69.