Picture-in-Picture for arbitrary content

We are adding support for requesting a Picture-in-Picture window that can contain arbitrary HTML content instead of a video layer. This content can be either interactive or not.

The original Picture-in-Picture API is limited to HTMLVideoElement. It takes the video layer and moves it into a window that follows display rules specific to Picture-in-Picture. Various partners expressed interest for a more flexible API. The feature requests fell into two categories: customising the look & feel and customising the user experience. The former can technically be done using canvas elements but the latter requires a different model that would require user interaction and therefore no longer be compatible with Android, iOS and macOS APIs.

Documentation

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zZwiNkLn24SvTMmnXj6AgGK88jZhkaxexUiZr-hOfsU/edit
• Full spec not yet available

Status in Chromium

Blink components: Blink>Media>PictureInPicture

In development (tracking bug)

Consensus & Standardization

• Firefox: No public signals
• Edge: Public support
• Safari: Opposed
• Web Developers: Positive

Owners

• beccahughes@chromium.org
• fbeaufort@chromium.org
• mlamouri@chromium.org

Last updated on 2019-04-26