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Back in Chrome OS 70 we were introduced to the idea of PIP (picture-in-picture) video playback on desktop. The idea is similar to what we’ve become used to using on our phones. If you are watching a video and minimize the window or tab your playback is happening in, the PIP will kick in and keep your video floating in its own window so you don’t miss anything while you move to other tasks.
This has worked in a few different ways on different operating systems with different media (menu buttons, right clicks, double-right clicks, etc.), and Chrome OS has only been able to leverage it by switching on a flag. Add to that the fact that there’s not been a solid way to get the video back into the tab it came from in the first place and what you have is an overall confusing feature.
Chrome 73 seems to be bringing a needed missing piece to this puzzle, however, by giving users a clear and simple way to get the popped-out video back where it belongs without simply closing it down altogether.
Discovered originally by Techdows, Chrome 73 Canary simply adds a small button to the bottom right portion of the PIP screen that puts the video playback in the source tab. Keep in mind this is Canary, so it is unlikely that this is in its final form as support for YouTube videos is still not working.
If you would like to give the whole thing a look, you can simply download Chrome Canary version 73 for your desktop (sorry Chrome OS folks, we’re still on 72 for now) and then:
- Head over to this Picture-in-Picture sample page.
- Click on three vertical dots and choose “Picture-in-Picture” (or hit the button below the video).
- Hover the new window and click the icon in the lower-right corner to return the player to its tab.
It is a simple change, but if our behavior has been set by Android’s existing PIP behavior, a way to get the video back to where it came is definitely needed and a welcome addition to this Chrome feature.
SOURCE: Techdows
