Google Chrome is getting a new feature that automatically plays YouTube and other videos in picture-in-picture mode (PiP) when you switch tabs or windows. Chrome’s new PiP feature is coming to desktops, including Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS and ChromeOS.
If you’re watching a video on Chrome and decide to hop over to another tab, the browser will automatically place your video into a handy Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode. This new feature is similar to the “Automatically turn on picture in picture for video sites” option in Microsoft Edge Canary.
This seems like another one of those “helpful” browser features you need to turn off because at random moments it’ll obscure part of the web page you’re looking at.
Who is asking for features like this?
It speaks to my cynicism, but my very first thought was that this “feature” is going to be used to play ads that you cannot switch away from. I already could play videos in a new window when I wanted to, so I don’t see the value here.