zen docsPicture-in-Picture
Watch videos in a separate window
With Picture-in-Picture (PiP) in Zen, you can pop videos out of webpages into a clean, always-on-top floating window. Whether you're working, browsing, or just casually scrolling, PiP keeps your video visible without disrupting your flow.
How to Use Picture-in-Picture
Stay in flow while watching.
1. On-Screen Video Toggle
When you hover over a supported video, a Zen PiP toggle will appear.
Click it to launch the video in a floating window.
- Right-click the toggle to move it to the left or right side.
- The toggle is hidden when the video is in full-screen mode.
2. Address Bar Icon
On pages with a single video, Zen displays a PiP icon in the address bar.
- If there are multiple videos or none, the icon remains hidden.
3. Right-Click Menu
You can also launch PiP by right-clicking on the video.
- Some platforms like YouTube use custom menus.
In that case, use Shift + Right-Click or double right-click to access Zen’s native menu.
4. Auto-Play in Mini Player
When you switch tabs while a video is playing, Zen quietly tucks the video into a floating player at the bottom right.
Enable it by setting the property below in about:config to TRUE
media.videocontrols.picture-in-picture.enable-when-switching-tabs.enabled
5. Resize
Hover over any corner of the mini player and drag to adjust its size—just how you like it.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Launch/Close PiP | Ctrl + Shift + ] |
| Mute / Unmute | Ctrl + ↓ / Ctrl + ↑ |
| Volume Control | ↑ / ↓ |
| Seek 5s Back / Forward | ← / → |
| Seek 10% Back / Forward | Ctrl + ← / Ctrl + → |
| Jump to Start / End | Home / End |
| Pause / Play | Space |
| Fullscreen Toggle | Double-click or F |
| Close PiP Window | Ctrl + W |
How to Disable Picture-in-Picture
Option 1: From the Player
- Hover over the Picture-in-Picture Player
- Click on the [x] button
Option 2: From Zen Settings
- Go to Settings → General → Browsing
- Uncheck "Enable picture-in-picture video controls"
You can always re-enable it later.
Option 3: From the Toggle
-
Hover over a video and right-click the PiP toggle.
-
Select "Hide Picture-in-Picture Toggle".
Option 4: From Configuration Page
If you’d like to disable Picture-in-Picture functionality entirely, you can do so via Zen’s advanced configuration page:
- In the address bar, type
about:configand press Enter. - Accept any warning that appears.
- Search for the setting:
media.videocontrols.picture-in-picture.enabled. - Set it to false to disable Picture-in-Picture across Zen.
You can always re-enable it by returning to this setting and switching it back to true.
Why You Might Not See the Toggle
- The video is shorter than 45 seconds or has no audio.
- It’s in full-screen mode.
- The site may restrict PiP, but Zen gives you the option to override this via "Enable Anyway" when available.
Subtitles & Captions
Turn on captions before activating PiP to see them in the floating window.
Zen supports captions on major platforms including:
- YouTube
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Amazon Prime Video
- Funimation
- Dailymotion
- Khan Academy
- BBC
- Washington Post
- Nebula
- Tubi
- Hotstar
- SonyLIV
- Any site using WebVTT (e.g. Coursera, Twitter)
More platforms are being added.
Media Player
Audio, always within reach.
- Automatic Playback Controls
When audio is playing in a background tab, Zen adds a subtle media controller to the bottom of your sidebar.
- Simple Dismissal
To hide the Media Player, just click the “X” on the controller. Zen will take the hint.