YouTube has a "mini player" — that small bar at the bottom of the page that lets you browse other videos while something plays. The problem is it is not really a mini player. It is a tiny strip locked inside the YouTube tab that you cannot resize, reposition, or take outside the browser.
If you want a proper floating mini player on Windows — one you can resize, make transparent, and keep on top of other apps — you need something else. Here are your options.
01 What YouTube's mini player actually does
Click the mini player icon on a YouTube video and it shrinks to a small fixed-size bar at the bottom of the page. You can then browse other YouTube pages while it plays.
That is all it does. It does not leave the YouTube tab. It does not float over other applications. You cannot resize it, change its position, or adjust its opacity. It is a navigation feature, not a productivity tool.
02 Chrome's PiP — one step better
Chrome's Picture-in-Picture pops the video into a floating window that sits outside the browser. This is closer to what most people want when they search for a way to watch YouTube while working on Windows.
To activate it, double right-click on the video and select "Picture in Picture" from Chrome's context menu.
03 What is still missing from Chrome's PiP
Chrome's PiP window improves on YouTube's mini player, but still has fundamental limitations:
No controls: Only play and pause. No volume, speed, seeking, or progress bar.
Browser only: Only stays on top of Chrome. Switch to any other app and it disappears behind.
No subtitles: Closed captions vanish in PiP mode — a known Chromium bug since 2019.
No click-through: The window captures all mouse clicks. You will accidentally interact with it constantly.
04 PiP Pro — the mini player YouTube should have built
PiP Pro is a standalone Windows app that does what YouTube's mini player and Chrome's PiP both fail to do: give you a proper floating video player that works everywhere.
Any position: Drag it to any corner, edge, or centre of your screen. It stays put.
System-wide: Floats on top of every application — games, IDEs, design tools, everything.
Ghost Mode: Make the player semi-transparent and click through it. Your mouse passes straight to the app underneath.
Full controls: Play, pause, skip, volume, speed, progress bar, subtitles — all built in.
Smart Playlists: Seed a mood and get an endless queue without ever leaving the player.
05 YouTube mini player vs Chrome PiP vs PiP Pro
| Feature | YT Mini Player | Chrome PiP | PiP Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves the browser | No | Yes | Yes |
| On top of all apps | No | Chrome only | System-wide |
| Resizable | No | Limited (~25%) | Any size |
| Repositionable | No | Corners only | Anywhere |
| Full controls | Basic | Play/pause only | Full suite |
| Subtitles | Yes | No | Yes |
| Click-through | No | No | Ghost Mode |
| Search built in | No | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free | $5/mo (5-day trial) |
Get the Mini Player YouTube Should Have Built
Floating. Always on top. Resizable. Transparent. Free to try for 5 days.
Download PiP Pro Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I resize YouTube's mini player?
YouTube's built-in mini player has a fixed size at the bottom of the page and cannot be resized or repositioned. Chrome's PiP window can be resized but maxes out at about 25% of your screen. PiP Pro has no size limits.
Does YouTube's mini player stay on top of other apps?
No. YouTube's mini player only exists inside the YouTube browser tab. Chrome's PiP stays on top of Chrome but not other apps. PiP Pro stays on top system-wide.
Is there a free YouTube mini player for Windows?
Chrome's built-in PiP is free but severely limited. PiP Pro offers a 5-day free trial with full features, then costs $5 per month billed annually.