YouTube finally lets you watch a video and browse the site at the same time

Wooohoooo!
By Stan Schroeder  on 
YouTube finally lets you watch a video and browse the site at the same time
We still can't believe our eyes. Credit: Stan schroeder/Mashable/youtube

From the "why the hell did this take so long" department: YouTube has launched a new "Miniplayer" feature, which lets you continue watching a video in a smaller window while you browse other sections of the site.

To say the feature was highly coveted is an understatement, especially since a similar feature has been available on the mobile version of YouTube for ages. But alright, here it is and I'll stop complaining right now.

To access the feature, play a video on YouTube, hover over it with the mouse pointer, and you'll notice a new button on the lower right side, the Miniplayer button. Click it, and the video will smallify and relocate itself into the lower right corner, leaving you free to browse through other videos on the site.

The Miniplayer has a few commands of its own: play/pause and previous/next video buttons. Click the down-pointing arrow in the bottom right corner to access the playlist. To close the Miniplayer, hit X or ESC on your keyboard. And to go back to regular video view, just click on the Miniplayer (anywhere except the controls).

Mashable Image
The Miniplayer, magnified. Credit: stan schroeder/Masahble/Youtube

The feature has first been tested in March and has been gradually rolled out to some users over the past weeks, but it's now available to everyone.

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.


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