Starting with macOS Sierra, Apple provided a convenient Picture in Picture (PiP) feature that allows you to “float” a video window from Safari, YouTube, Apple TV+, and other apps. Let’s look at how to use it in macOS Sequoia.
But back to the “floating” videos: when you’re watching a video in the Safari web browser, you can make it “jump off” the webpage into a separate window of its own. Go to the page displaying the video, then click and hold the Volume icon in the navigation bar. A menu will pop up.
Select Enter Picture in Picture and the video appears in its own window. You can resize and/or snap it to an edge of the screen.
If you’re playing a YouTube video in Safari on your Mac, if you right-click (Control click) on the video that’s being played, you’ll see options to “loop”, “copy video URL”, and more.
However, if you right-click on a video twice, you’ll see the option to “Enter Picture in Picture,” as well as “Show Controls,” “Enter Full Screen,” and “Inspect Element.”
Using PiP in Apple TV+
To use PiP in Apple TV+ launch the Apple TV+ app and start watching a movie or show. Hover the mouse over the name of the movie or TV show episode and the PiP icon will appear.
It should also appear if you move the cursor to the top left side of the video screen.
Using PiP in QuickTime Player
Apple has added support for PiP to QuickTime Player. You can play video in a resizable window that isn’t blocked by other windows.
To do this launch QuickTime Player. Use the playback controls to play the video file. Click the picture-in-picture button in the playback controls.
You can click and drag the picture-in-picture window to anywhere on the screen, or click and drag any edge of the window to resize it. Click the full screen button or the close button to close the picture-in-picture window.
Moving, resizing, and closing PiP windows
You can resize a PiP-playing video by dragging the corners of the window. You can also move this video to any of the four corners on your screen.
To exit PiP, click on the close window icon (the X button) in the upper left corner of the video pop-up window. Alternately, you can click and hold on the Audio icon in the URL box and select Exit Picture in Picture.
What’s more, with AirPlay, you can play web videos on any HDTV with Apple TV—without showing everything else on your desktop. In Safari, navigate to the web video you want to play.
AirPlay icon
Compatible web videos have an AirPlay icon in the video controls in the bottom of the video window. Click the AirPlay icon then choose your Apple TV.
