How to use Picture in Picture on a Mac

Pop a video out into a small window that floats over everything. How to do it in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and FaceTime, how to move and resize it, and its limits.

Guide · Updated 13 October 2026

Picture in Picture puts a video in a small window that floats above every other window and follows you between desktops. It is built into macOS and works in the main browsers.

How to start it

WhereHow
SafariClick the Picture in Picture button in the video controls, or right click the video and choose Enter Picture in Picture (on YouTube, right click twice)
ChromeRight click the video (twice on YouTube) and choose Picture in picture, or use the media controls button in the toolbar
FirefoxHover over the video and click the Picture in Picture toggle on its side
FaceTimeSwitch to another app during a call and the call shrinks into a floating window
TV app and QuickTimeClick the Picture in Picture button in the playback controls

Moving and resizing it

  • Drag it to any corner; it snaps there.
  • Drag its edge or corner to resize it.
  • Drag it off the side of the screen to tuck it away with the sound still playing; drag it back to see it.
  • Close it or click the return button to send the video back to its page.

Its limits

It works for video only, and not every site allows it. For anything else you want to keep in view, like a document, a chat or a dashboard, see keeping a window on top, or give it a narrow column of its own on a ClutterFreeMac strip so it sits beside your work instead of over it.

Questions

How do I do Picture in Picture on YouTube on a Mac?

Right click the video twice, so the browser's own menu appears instead of YouTube's, and choose Picture in Picture.

Why is Picture in Picture not working on my Mac?

Some sites turn it off. Make sure the video is playing, try the browser's own menu (right click twice), and update the browser.

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