Microsoft Edge's Picture in Picture (PiP) mode enables you to watch videos in a small overlay window while navigating through other tabs or even other applications. This feature allows you to keep videos in view while multitasking, enhancing your browsing experience.

Using Picture in Picture mode on Microsoft Edge

To utilize the Picture in Picture mode on Microsoft Edge, first ensure your browser is updated to the latest version. Once updated, follow these steps to play a video in PiP mode.

Step 1: Navigate to a website that supports PiP mode, such as YouTube, and start playing a video.

Step 2: Right-click directly on the video. If you don't see the "Picture in picture" option in the context menu, right-click again, and a different context menu should appear. Select "Picture in picture" from the options.

Step 3: After selecting Picture in Picture mode, the video will appear in a small overlay window at the bottom-right corner of your screen. The original video on the webpage will display a message indicating that PiP mode is active.

Step 4: Resize the overlay window by clicking and dragging its edges or corners. Drag inward to make the window smaller or outward to enlarge it. Note that there is a maximum size limit for the overlay window.

The overlay window remains visible even when you switch between tabs or open other applications, allowing you to continue watching the video without interruption. Hovering over the overlay window reveals control options such as "Pause" and "Back to tab," which exits PiP mode and closes the overlay.

Enabling Global Media Controls on Microsoft Edge

Global Media Controls provide a convenient way to manage media playback across different tabs and windows in Microsoft Edge. By enabling this feature, you can control videos playing in PiP mode directly from the toolbar, offering additional playback options beyond the basic controls in the overlay window.

Step 1: To enable Global Media Controls, enter the following address into the Edge address bar and press Enter:

edge://flags/#global-media-controls

Step 2: On the "Experiments" page, locate the "Global Media Controls" flag. Click the dropdown menu next to it and select "Enabled".

Step 3: Similarly, find the "Global Media Controls Picture-in-Picture" flag and enable it by selecting "Enabled" from the dropdown menu. This will allow you to control PiP mode through the Global Media Controls.

Step 4: After enabling both flags, restart Microsoft Edge to apply the changes. Click the "Restart" button that appears at the bottom of the flags page.

Step 5: Once Edge restarts, you'll notice a media control icon on the toolbar at the top. Click this icon to access playback controls for any media currently playing in the browser. These controls include "Seek backward," "Play/Pause," "Seek forward," and an option to toggle Picture in Picture mode.

If you have multiple media playing across different tabs, each will be listed separately within the Global Media Controls, allowing you to manage them individually.

By enabling Picture in Picture mode and Global Media Controls on Microsoft Edge, you can enhance your multitasking capabilities, allowing you to watch videos seamlessly while browsing and control media playback with ease.