PictureinPicture

Picture-in-Picture, commonly abbreviated as PiP, is a feature that lets a video play in a small, floating window that remains visible atop other content. The PiP window typically shows playback controls and can be moved, resized, or dismissed, enabling users to watch video while performing other tasks.

In web environments, PiP is standardized by the Picture-in-Picture Web API. A page can request a video element to enter PiP by calling requestPictureInPicture() and exit PiP with exitPictureInPicture(). The current PiP element is exposed as document.pictureInPictureElement, while the capability is exposed as document.pictureInPictureEnabled. A video element may also include the disablePictureInPicture attribute to prevent entering PiP.

Platform support varies but is widespread on modern browsers. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari support PiP on desktop and mobile devices; iPadOS and Android devices often provide PiP within their respective browsers or system interfaces. PiP is commonly used in video players, streaming services, and video conferencing apps. Some environments require a user gesture to initiate PiP, and some policies or DRM constraints may restrict its use.

Considerations for developers include providing accessible fallbacks for users who cannot use PiP, ensuring the PiP window does not obscure essential UI, and handling cases where the feature is unavailable or disabled. Because PiP operates as an overlay window, it interacts with other system windows and may vary in behavior across platforms and browser versions.