How to Minimize YouTube Video While Browsing or Multitasking – WP Newsify

Since YouTube is one of the most used platforms for entertainment, tutorials, productivity tools, and news, it’s no surprise that users often want to continue watching a video while multitasking or browsing other apps and websites. Whether you’re following a cooking tutorial while checking ingredients online or listening to a lecture while taking notes, minimizing a YouTube video for uninterrupted playback of various tasks is a useful feature that can significantly improve your workflow.

TLDR: You can minimize YouTube videos using built-in desktop or mobile features, browser extensions, and third-party apps. Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, split-screen options and YouTube Premium provide reliable ways to multitask efficiently. Learn how to activate these tools for both desktop and mobile platforms. This guide covers options for all major devices and browsers, so you can watch videos while you do more.

Why minimizing YouTube videos can be helpful

By minimizing videos you can:

• Increase productivity: Viewing and taking notes at the same time becomes easier.
• Multitasking: Follow a video call, podcast or tutorial while answering emails or browsing other content.
• Enjoy uninterrupted viewing: Continue playback without keeping the YouTube window active.

1. Use YouTube’s built-in features

Desktop mini player

On desktop, YouTube offers a Mini player mode accessible directly via the video interface. This feature ensures that the video plays in a corner of the browser, while you can surf YouTube itself.

To activate the mini player:

1. Move your mouse over the video you are watching.
2. Click on the mini player iconthat looks like a small rectangle with a smaller square inside it, at the bottom right of the video player.
3. The video will shrink and move to the bottom right corner of the YouTube page so you can browse other content on the site.

Remark: This feature only works within the YouTube website and does not track you if you navigate to another tab or app.

Picture-in-Picture from YouTube for mobile

On mobile platforms such as Android and iOS, the Picture-in-picture (PiP) This feature allows you to minimize videos into a floating window that can be dragged around the screen while you use other apps.

Enable PiP on mobile:

1. Make sure you are using Android 8.0+ or ​​iOS 14+.
2. Start a video in the YouTube app.
3. Swipe up or press the home button to activate PiP mode.

Note that PiP on iOS is only available to users with YouTube Premium (at the time of writing), while on Android some regions allow it for free users as well.

2. Browser-based Picture-in-Picture (PiP)

If you use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, you can use the browser’s native PiP API to get a floating video window outside of YouTube itself.

Here’s how to enable it Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge:

1. Right-click the video twice (YouTube’s custom menu appears on the first right-click; the browser context menu appears on the second).
2. Select “Picture in picture” from the browser menu.
3. The video appears in a floating, resizable window that keeps up with other applications.

For Mozilla Firefox users:

1. Hover over a video.
2. Click on the small ‘Picture in Picture’ icon at the edge of the video.

This method does not requires YouTube Premium and works on most sites that use standard HTML5 video players.

3. YouTube Premium benefits

YouTube premium subscribers enjoy a host of additional features, including:

• Picture-in-picture on iOS
• Background game (listen to audio while the screen is off)
• No ads

This is the most seamless and native method to minimize YouTube on mobile. If PiP and background functionality are a priority, a subscription to YouTube Premium ensures cross-device compatibility.

4. Third-party extensions and apps

If you’re looking for more advanced or customizable experiences, consider third-party tools:

For desktop

Chrome extensions:

• “Picture-in-Picture Extension (by Google)”: Adds a PiP button to your toolbar for one-click access.
• Improvement for YouTube: Offers customizable PiP settings, playback controls and more.

For Android

• New Pipe: A third-party open-source YouTube client that offers background playback and PiP by default. Not available on Google Play.
• Floating Apps: Sends the video as a movable widget over other apps.

For iOS

The options are more limited due to system limitations, but apps like it “PiPify” (Safari extension) or using shortcuts can sometimes replicate the behavior of PiP functions.

5. Split screen mode (Android and iPadOS)

If you’re not a fan of floating windows or need more screen real estate, use Split screen mode on mobile tablets and Android phones is another viable method.

On Android:

1. Open YouTube and another compatible app like Chrome or Notes.
2. Press the recent apps and tap the app icon at the top of the window.
3. Select “Open in split screen view”.

On iPads running iPadOS:

1. Open YouTube in Safari.
2. Use the Dock to drag another app to the side for Split View.

This layout allows side-by-side app use, freeing up more screen real estate than typical PiP windows. However, when playing in a browser-based split screen, background audio is not allowed unless you use YouTube Premium or request the desktop version of YouTube for basic functionality.

6. Shortcuts and tips

If you often use desktop browsers, here are some useful keyboard shortcuts to improve your efficiency while watching minimized or floating videos:

• M – Mute/unmute video
• L – Jump forward 10 seconds
• J – Jump back 10 seconds
• F – Enable full screen
• K or Room – Play/pause

Tips for the best experience

• Use headphones for better sound management when playing videos in the background.
• Check region restrictions: Some PiP features may be limited depending on the country or region.
• Update apps and browsers: New updates regularly improve PiP compatibility and fix bugs.

Conclusion

Minimizing YouTube videos while browsing or multitasking is more accessible today than ever before. Whether you use built-in Picture-in-Picture modes, browser extensions, or third-party apps, there’s a solution tailored to every device and workflow. If you regularly double-task or want to stay productive without interrupting your video content, using one or more of these methods can dramatically improve your digital experience.

From native YouTube features and browser tricks to premium subscriptions and applications designed for PiP functionality, users now have multiple reliable options to stay informed and entertained while on task. Choose the method that best suits your platform and usage style, and enjoy seamless video multitasking like never before.

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