macOS Sierra: Picture in Picture Mode for Safari and iTunes Videos

[MacRumors]

With macOS Sierra, users can can float a video window from Safari or iTunes over the desktop or an app thanks to a new picture-in-picture mode. The feature enables Mac users to play a video in any one of the four corners of the desktop and resize it to see more or less of the window behind it.

The video remains pinned above the desktop and apps, including in full-screen mode and split view, so long as the Safari tab or iTunes window where the video originates remains open. The picture-in-picture window has buttons to close or unpin the video, and play and pause controls, but no rewind, fast forward, or scrubbing options.

In Safari, picture-in-picture mode currently only works on certain websites, such as YouTube, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal, but the feature should become more widely available as other websites implement it. In the meantime, it does not work on websites like Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, AMC, or The New York Times.

Even on YouTube, enabling picture-in-picture mode currently requires somewhat of a workaround. Since there is no picture-in-picture mode button in the video player itself, like in the CNN screenshot above, enabling the feature on YouTube requires right-clicking the video player twice until a contextual menu pops up with the option.

macOS Sierra was released today as a free download on the Mac App Store.

Article Link: macOS Sierra: Picture in Picture Mode for Safari and iTunes Videos

 

[aroom]

it's nice. but still, Safari can't play videos on some forum like muffwiggler.com if flash isn't installed. why does it work flawlessly on my iPad with iOS and I'm still struggling on macOS... and no clicktoplugin doesn't help

 

[Carlanga]

no rewind and fast forward umm disappointing.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Does QuickTime not have this feature or am I just stupid?

 

[flowsy]

it's nice. but still, Safari can't play videos on some forum like muffwiggler.com if flash isn't installed. why does it work flawlessly on my iPad with iOS and I'm still struggling on macOS... and no clicktoplugin doesn't help

You probably know about the trick to enable the developer option in Safari settings. Then you can change the user-agent from the Safari menu bar. It's not perfect, but it works.

 

[aroom]

You probably know about the trick to enable the developer option in Safari settings. Then you can change the user-agent from the Safari menu bar. It's not perfect, but it works.

Thanks Flowsy but this trick never worked for me

 

[Zirel]

it's nice. but still, Safari can't play videos on some forum like muffwiggler.com if flash isn't installed. why does it work flawlessly on my iPad with iOS and I'm still struggling on macOS... and no clicktoplugin doesn't help

Because the site detects you are on a computer and wants you to use flash because reasons (like ads).

If you want, you can activate the programmer menu, and change your user agent to iPad and try.
[doublepost=1474403521][/doublepost]In your face Google!

You don't want me to watch YouTube videos in picture in picture without paying? No problem!

 

[nagromme]

it's nice. but still, Safari can't play videos on some forum like muffwiggler.com if flash isn't installed. why does it work flawlessly on my iPad with iOS and I'm still struggling on macOS... and no clicktoplugin doesn't help

That's likely a problem with a particular site. They've programmed their handling of Flash poorly. (Just ditch it already!)

Could also be a side effect of ad-blockers or tracker-blockers you may be running.

For some reason choosing Firefox Mac gives me the best Flash-avoidance luck on web sites like that... such as Pandora! I'm looking at you!

 

[shanson27]

Picture in Picture

 

[MacFever]

Picture in Picture View attachment 655784

where did you get that wallpaper from? can you share the link?

 

[blodyholy]

For those of you that use Tivo Online for in home network streaming, I'm happy to report that Picture in Picture works for their website/setup!

 

[wlossw]

Does not work with plex, or Netflix...

 

[coolfactor]

Does not work with plex, or Netflix...

Doesn't work with Netflix?????????????? That's a crime!

 

[timbutt2]

Vimeo works! However, disappointed Netflix doesn't work. Would be nice for Hulu and HBO Now to work as well.

 

[jonnysods]

Does not work with plex, or Netflix...

I haven't downloaded Sierra yet. But that was the biggest reason to!!

 

[MysteryMii215]

Doesn't work with Netflix?????????????? That's a crime!

Reed Hastings, if you are reading this, tell your engineers to add PiP to Netflix ASAP!

 

[eagleglen]

I can't get it to work with YouTube on a MBP. The article says "right-clicking the video player twice until a contextual menu pops up with the option" but the picture just gets bigger. Right clicking ONCE brings up a menu but the PIP option isn't there. This feature was already kind of a bust without Netflix or Plex support.

 

[shanson27]

where did you get that wallpaper from? can you share the link?

Wallpaper

https://cl.ly/3o2g2n432d2Q/23932828839_fc0f1868d2_o.jpg

 

[MacFan23]

Reed Hastings, if you are reading this, tell your engineers to add PiP to Netflix ASAP!

Took them a while to add it to iOS as well right?

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

What a disappointing early implementation. For my personal use I thought it would be great for playing application tutorial videos while working in the application but no rewind, forward, or scrubbing makes it near useless for that.

Beyond being able to go back to a step you might have missed, it’s also essential to be able to skip through the presenter prattling on about nothing important. At best most tutorials are only about 50% focused information you need to know.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

I'm watching a video in YouTube but when I right-click on it, there is no option to "enable picture in picture". Nor is there a PiP icon in the bottom of the video. This is what I see when I right-click:

What's up?

 

[fricotin]

You have to right-click twice.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

You have to right-click twice.

Thanks. That did the trick!

 

[S.B.G]

That's pretty neat and will have to try it out later on. Would like to see Netflix support this down the road too.

 

[BlazePhyre]

it's nice. but still, Safari can't play videos on some forum like muffwiggler.com if flash isn't installed. why does it work flawlessly on my iPad with iOS and I'm still struggling on macOS... and no clicktoplugin doesn't help

iOS doesn’t use Flash. It’s completely different. Any video that you watch on your iPad in Safari is made to be compatible specifically with mobile and iOS. For most everything on an actual computer you need flash to get videos working. That or silverlight or java.