YouTube’s development team is currently working on an exciting new feature that will enhance user experience on its website. This feature aims to automatically enable Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode for the currently playing video whenever a user switches to another tab.

This functionality is already available in the mobile app for both Android and iOS devices. YouTube continues to dominate the global video-sharing market despite the rise of short video platforms.

Regular updates and new features are introduced to improve usability, and the next improvement revolves around the automatic PiP mode. In 2021, the platform launched PiP support, allowing users to watch videos in a miniature window while navigating other websites or applications.

This pop-up window can be resized and moved freely across the screen, providing flexibility and convenience. A prevalent issue for YouTube website users has been the manual activation of the PiP mode.

Unlike the mobile app, where the PiP is automatically enabled when minimizing the app or switching to another, desktop users must manually enable this feature by accessing the video tab. However, it appears that Google is addressing this limitation.

A user on X/Twitter named Leopeva64 recently discovered a feature being developed in Chrome’s Canary testing branch. This feature aims to automatically enable PiP mode for the video playing when a user switches tabs.

Once implemented, users will have the option to permanently enable PiP for any currently playing video upon exiting a tab or choose to have it triggered just once. Those who prefer the current behavior, where the PiP window is not automatically activated, will also have the choice to maintain that setting.

This new feature holds great promise, allowing users to customize their viewing preferences. While it’s convenient to have a PiP window activated automatically in certain situations, some users may prefer the video to play in the background, especially when engaged in tasks like studying or working.

Though the feature is still in development, it is expected to be available on the YouTube website in the coming weeks.