Chrome for Android Prepares Picture-in-Picture Support for Documents

Chrome on Android currently supports Picture-in-Picture (PiP) only for video content. However, Google has introduced the Document Picture-in-Picture API, which allows web apps to open an always-on-top window with arbitrary HTML content. This feature is currently available on desktop, and the company is now adding the Document PiP API to Chrome on Android behind a flag.

Chrome on Android does not support PiP mode for general documents (e.g., PDFs, and web pages without embedded videos). However, it does support PiP for video content under certain conditions. Chrome on Android enables PiP for HTML5

Currently, non-video documents require split-screen or multi-window mode, a default feature in Android. But with the introduction of the Document PiP API, Chrome on Android will soon allow websites to open floating windows for documents, expanding PiP functionality beyond videos.

“[Document PiP] Add a flag for Document Picture-in-Picture API on Android. This flag will enable developers to control support for Document PiP within Android’s windowing system.”, Google says in a commit message on Chromium Gerrit.

The description of the Android Document Picture-in-Picture flag reads as follows:

Enable Document Picture-in-Picture in desktop windowing on Android.
Enables the Document Picture-in-Picture API, allowing websites to open a new floating always-on-top window with arbitrary HTML content.

Do note, that PiP for documents isn’t automatic either. Websites must explicitly use the Document PiP API to enable it. Document PiP is not universal—it requires developer effort. For now, most PiP usage on desktop Chrome is still video-only unless a website explicitly adopts the API. The same applies to Chrome on Android.

Document PiP for Chrome on Android is currently in development, and the flag is expected to be available soon in the Canary version.

Apart from this, Google is updating Tab Group colors with Material You design.