You can now watch videos as you browse in Google Chrome

There's no doubt that it's becoming increasingly difficult to dodge distraction in our daily lives; whether it's social media notifications, news updates, or bustling WhatsApp chats diverting your attention, being able to concentrate on one task at a time sometimes feels like a thing of the past.

Love it or hate it, multitasking is even easier with the latest update from Google Chrome, which now allows you to watch videos in a floating player while you browse the internet. 

'Picture-in-picture' means that videos can be minimized into a small moveable box at the forefront of your screen, and while this feature is enabled you can navigate to different tabs in Chrome, or even different apps and programs while still watching your video.

How do I get it?

It doesn't just work on YouTube videos - you can also use the new picture-in-picture feature on embedded videos in websites, meaning you'll never have to stop watching cute cat videos from Facebook while you get on with your work. 

In order to use the new feature, you will need to download the extension from the Chrome web store . Once you've done this, you should see the icon for the new feature in your toolbar - simply click on this while watching a video and it should appear in a small moveable box.  

Whether you think picture in picture is a force for good, is up to you - but there's no denying that it could be extremely useful for all the multitaskers out there (if only for procrastinating).

At the moment it appears that this new feature is only available for the desktop versions of Chrome (for Windows, Mac and Linux laptops and computers).

Olivia Tambini

Olivia was previously TechRadar's Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She's previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.

Latest in Chrome
Google Chrome browser icon
A new split-screen feature is coming to Google Chrome, and it's surprisingly powerful
A finger touching the google chrome icon in the Windows 10 start menu
A new Chrome browser highjacking attack could affect billions of users - here's how to fight it
Close-up of Asus Chromebook CM14 ports on left side
Are you an educator or student? Google's new features for Chromebooks and more will make your life way easier
Chrome icon on Android
Google plans on a handy fix for all those duplicate Chrome tabs, but it's only for Android
A trophy with the Chrome logo on it and a star with "2024" written in it
These are the best Chrome Extensions of 2024 – according to Google
Close up of Chromebook
Chrome slowing down your laptop? Google’s new performance controls could help the browser run faster
Latest in News
MacBook Air mute key
The new M4 MacBook Air finally fixes an Apple keyboard annoyance that's been around for decades
A collage of Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's new trailer teases a huge showdown between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel, but the big moment I'm waiting for is still being held back
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Air leak may have revealed some key specs – and how it compares to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Gaming with AI
I asked Gemini to play a text-based adventure game with me and the AI whisked me away to a word-based fantasy
Apple iPhone 16 Review
Three iPhone 17 model dummy units appear in a hands-on video leak
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
New Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may have revealed some key details – including its price