Table of Contents
Introduction
While you juggle multiple tasks on your Mac, there's a tool that can help streamline your activities - the Safari Picture-in-Picture mode. This powerful tool allows you to play videos in a smaller, individual window simultaneously while being engaged with activities on other tabs. This video-playing tool hovers over the content and stays at the forefront, regardless of any new application you open or page you visit on your Mac.
Explanation of Picture-in-Picture Mode in Safari
Picture-in-Picture mode in Safari is designed to enhance multitasking and productivity. It is a feature that lets you watch videos in a small floating window while you're otherwise busy working on different tabs, applications, or documents. This feature creates a video window that stays on top of your screen, so your video content is always accessible while you navigate across different apps or browse through various websites on Safari.
The Concept and Utility of Picture-in-Picture Mode
This feature is especially beneficial for those who want to watch videos while simultaneously focusing on other tasks on a single screen. Regardless of the application you're working on, the Picture-in-Picture window stays in the forefront of your screen, ensuring uninterrupted video consumption. The ease of this feature means you don’t have to flip tabs constantly or compromise on any task.
Entering Picture-in-Picture Mode on Diverse Websites
Although multiple websites support video content, the process of entering Picture in Picture mode may vary from one to another. It's because different websites operate with different user interfaces and technical compatibilities. Thus, gaining familiarity with all potential methods of entering this mode can be advantageous to ensure seamless video playing on different platforms.
The Built-in Nature of Picture-in-Picture Mode
In the Safari browser on a Mac, you don't need any third-party extension to use Picture-in-Picture mode. The feature is built directly into Safari, adding to its convenience. Having direct access to this function within your web browser ecosystem can significantly improve your multitasking experience, making Safari's Picture-in-Picture mode an invaluable tool.
Enable PiP on Youtube
One of the most visited platforms for video content is undoubtedly YouTube. Enhancing your YouTube experience with Safari's Picture-in-Picture mode is quite straightforward, allowing you to view videos in a small, navigable window while you continue to browse or work on other tasks.
How to Use Picture-in-Picture Mode on YouTube
To engage Picture-in-Picture mode for a video on YouTube, first, locate and play the desired video content. When the video starts playing, hold down the 'Control' button and right-click twice on the video which will unveil an option titled 'Picture in Picture'. Clicking on it will activate the Picture-in-Picture mode for the ongoing video, creating a small but appreciable floating window for ongoing video content.
However, if you're browsing YouTube and want a video preview running on a miniplayer, there's a slightly different approach. Start the video and look for the 'Miniplayer' button on the video screen's bottom-right corner. Clicking on this button initiates the Miniplayer mode that provides a video preview while you continue to explore other content on YouTube.
In other browsers like Firefox, the steps to enable PiP mode may vary slightly. For example, in Firefox, the option to enable PiP lies within the browser's settings. After enabling it through the settings, a Picture-in-Picture icon appears in the video's bottom-right corner on YouTube. Clicking on this icon activates the PiP mode.
Enable PiP from the Address Field
The Picture-in-Picture mode feature in Safari can be accessed from multiple sources, one of them being the Safari Smart Search field or address field. Using the address field method, you get to experience uninterrupted video playback even while you work or browse other websites.
How to Activate PiP Mode from the Safari Smart Search Field
Within the Safari Smart Search Field lies a hidden gem: the mute button which also functions as a Picture-in-Picture trigger. Once you begin video playback on any website, this mute button becomes accessible. Running a right-click or Control-click on this button will open a context menu. Here, you get to choose the 'Enter Picture in Picture' option. With this simple action, you can transition your active video into a floating window and continue watching while working on other things.
Steps to Enable PiP Mode from the Address Field
To enable PiP mode through the address field, start by playing a video on a webpage of your choice. When the video commences, move your cursor to the address bar, look for the audio control or mute button, right-click or press Control-click on it. This action will display the context menu. Select the 'Enter Picture in Picture' option from this menu to proceed. You can then manipulate the video playback through the available controls within the floating window.
Take note that the audio control or mute button is only visible when a video is playing actively on the webpage. So if you don't see the mute button, make sure to check if the video is playing. This feature is handy, especially when consuming content on video streaming platforms that don't directly offer the Picture-in-Picture mode option, like Twitch.
Enable PiP in Other Streaming Platforms
Safari's Picture-in-Picture mode applies to a variety of streaming platforms, adding a multitasking prowess to your Mac use experience. Several apps support this feature and some even offer built-in PiP buttons that enable this function without leaving the app.
Using Built-in PiP Mode in Other Streaming Platforms
Applications like the Apple TV app and the Starz app have incorporated a PiP button into their interface. You can initiate the Picture-in-Picture mode by simply tapping on this button, thereby minimizing the current video into a PiP window. This functionality allows you to continue browsing within the app while keeping the video accessible. Even if you exit the app, the PiP window persists, delivering as usual.
However, it's important to keep in mind that not every video-streaming platform supports this mode. Notably, YouTube has PiP limitations where the feature is not accessible for free users. Paid or YouTube Premium subscribers have the privilege to use PiP as an 'experimental' feature. Fortunately, apps like YubePiP bypass these limitations. You just have to download this free app, launch it, search for a YouTube video, and tap the PiP icon on the screen when the video starts streaming.
As for initiating PiP mode, the process involves starting a video from your favorite streaming service or initiating a FaceTime video call. After you activate PiP mode, the video transforms into a small window, and both video and audio resume playing. However, remember, the video must be playing for the Picture-in-Picture window to appear. This mode supports both landscape and portrait modes, but its successful functioning depends on whether the currently used app supports these orientations.
