Buzz
Currently, most web browser developers are heavily focusing on Picture-in-Picture, a feature that enables users to watch videos in a dedicated popup window while browsing other websites on the browser.
Firefox stands out as a pioneer in supporting Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality. Currently, it is the first browser to release a major upgrade for this feature in the future.
In a recent discovery, the next major version of Firefox may support multiple Picture-in-Picture windows. This means, technically, you'll be able to watch multiple videos simultaneously on your screen while continuing to do anything else you want in the browser.
This feature is already present in the Nightly build of Firefox and will soon make its way to global releases. However, since it's not activated by default, it may take some time before Firefox receives support for opening multiple PiP windows. Therefore, there's a possibility it won't be deployed alongside Firefox version 84.
The good news is that you can already experience the multiple PiP windows feature by enabling a dedicated flag in the about: config screen in the browser. It's called:
media.videocontrols.picture-in-picture.allow-multiple
And it must be set to True for activation. After restarting Firefox, you can open multiple PiP windows on the screen simultaneously by right-clicking on the video and selecting Picture-in-Picture mode.
Mozilla remains entirely silent on anything related to this feature. PiP made its debut with Firefox 71 on Windows and Firefox 72 on Linux and macOS, claimed to work with the majority of videos found on the internet, not just on YouTube. Mozilla explains: 'The Picture-in-Picture mode switch appears when you hover over videos. Clicking on it will open the video in a PiP playback window.
If you haven't used the Picture-in-Picture feature before, it will appear as a small blue rectangular shape, accompanied by a brief description of the feature as you hover over it. This feature is designed to function with most videos on the web, although some videos won't display the Picture-in-Picture toggle when hovered over. We only show it for videos including audio tracks and videos with sufficient dimensions, as well as playback duration. Note that the PiP toggle button won't appear when the video is in full-screen mode'.
PiP mode in Firefox also supports keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to control specific features without touching the mouse. The following shortcuts are currently available to activate PiP in Firefox:
Besides, you can also explore some of the most effective Firefox shortcuts to apply while using this browser.
- Learn more: Comprehensive list of useful Firefox shortcuts.
Firefox 84 is scheduled for release on December 15, and alongside improvements for PiP mode, it will also be the last version of Firefox to support Flash Player. Adobe will retire its software in December, so starting with Firefox 85, Mozilla will officially end support for Flash Player.
Download the latest Firefox on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS:
Support for Flash has concluded on the Nightly and Beta builds of Firefox. Version 85 is slated to launch for production devices on January 26, so it won't be long before Flash Player bids a final farewell to Firefox users. The Adobe Flash plugin will cease loading Flash content on January 12.
In addition, Microsoft has announced the addition of new features to Outlook on Android and iOS. Learn more about these new features here.
