Google is developing an automatic picture-in-picture (PiP) function for its Chrome browser on the Android operating system, bringing similar media playback capabilities to mobile users that are already available on the desktop version.
The functionality is designed to activate when a user is playing media, such as a video or a podcast, on a website and then switches to another tab within the Chrome app. Upon switching tabs, the media content will automatically be minimized into a small, floating player that remains visible in a corner of the screen. This process is automatic and does not require the user to manually enable PiP mode.
The development was identified in a recently merged commit to the Chromium open-source project. This commit introduced a new flag intended to enable the automatic picture-in-picture feature on Android devices, indicating that the function is actively being worked on.
It is important to distinguish this in-app feature from the system-level PiP functionality available on Android. The upcoming Chrome feature contains the floating media player entirely within the browser application. This differs from system-level PiP, which allows a video to continue playing in a floating window that can be positioned over other applications or the device’s home screen.
Control over the feature is expected to be managed on a per-site basis, consistent with the implementation on Chrome for desktop. On desktop, the browser asks users for permission to enable automatic PiP for a specific site, offering options to always allow, block, or allow for a single session. The mobile version of Chrome will likely incorporate these same granular controls.
