As an avid content consumer, you’ve likely encountered the frustrating situation where you want to minimize a YouTube video on your Android device without interrupting your viewing experience. It’s a common conundrum, especially when you need to quickly check a message or respond to an email while a video plays in the background. Fortunately, there’s an array of convenient ways to minimize YouTube on your Android device, each tailored to specific scenarios and preferences. In this guide, we’ll delve into the various methods available, empowering you to effortlessly manage your video playback without missing a beat.
The most straightforward approach is utilizing YouTube’s built-in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode. This feature allows you to shrink the video into a small, movable window that hovers over other apps on your screen. To activate PiP mode, simply tap the “Minimize” icon located in the bottom right corner of the video player. The video will then detach from the YouTube app and continue playing in the PiP window. You can move this window anywhere on the screen, resize it, or even close it when finished. PiP mode is an excellent option if you need to multitask or access other apps while keeping an eye on your video.
Alternatively, if you prefer a more immersive viewing experience, you can minimize YouTube using the “Minimize to background” option. This method reduces the YouTube app to a small notification in your notification bar, allowing the video to continue playing in the background. To minimize YouTube to the background, tap the “Minimize” icon as before, but then select “Minimize to background” from the pop-up menu. You can then access other apps or even lock your device without interrupting the video playback. To return to the video, simply tap the YouTube notification in your notification bar. This method is useful when you want to listen to music or podcasts from YouTube while performing other tasks.
Disable Full-screen Mode
For Android users, there are two primary methods to minimize YouTube videos: disabling full-screen mode and using the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode. Disabling full-screen mode allows you to reduce the video size within the YouTube app, while PiP mode enables you to have a floating video window that can be moved around your screen.
To disable full-screen mode, follow these steps:
1. Open the YouTube Video
Launch the YouTube app on your Android device and select the video you want to minimize.
2. Tap the Full-screen Icon
Once the video starts playing, tap on the full-screen icon located in the bottom right corner. This will exit the full-screen view and bring the video to a smaller window within the YouTube app.
3. Adjust the Video Size
After disabling full-screen mode, you can adjust the video size to your preference. Simply drag the corners of the video window to make it smaller or larger. You can also move the window around the screen by dragging its center.
|Method|Instructions|
|—|—|
|Disable Full-screen Mode|Tap the full-screen icon in the bottom right corner of the video|
|Picture-in-Picture Mode|Tap the PiP icon in the bottom right corner of the video|
Use the Picture-in-Picture Mode
The Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode allows you to continue watching YouTube videos while using other apps or browsing the web. Here’s how to use PiP mode on Android:
Enabling Picture-in-Picture Mode
1. Open the YouTube app and start playing a video.
2. Tap the “Home” button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen to minimize the YouTube app.
3. The video will shrink into a small, resizable window that hovers over other apps. You can move the PiP window to any corner of the screen.
Controls in Picture-in-Picture Mode
The PiP window has several controls that you can use to adjust the video playback:
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Play/Pause | Starts or pauses the video |
| Seek | Drag the slider to rewind or fast-forward the video |
| Expand | Enlarges the PiP window to full-screen |
| Close | Closes the PiP window and stops the video |
Tips for Using Picture-in-Picture Mode
– You can only use PiP mode with one YouTube video at a time.
– The PiP window will stay on top of all other apps, even if you switch to a different tab or open a new app.
– You can minimize the PiP window to a small dot that you can drag around the screen.
– If you want to return to the full-screen YouTube app, simply tap the PiP window.
Shrink the YouTube Window
Many people enjoy watching videos on YouTube, but sometimes you need to continue doing other tasks. However, the YouTube app on Android devices does not allow users to minimize the video player. To minimize the YouTube window on your Android device, you can employ various tricks and third-party apps that offer this functionality.
Using Floating Apps
One effective method to minimize the YouTube window is to utilize floating apps. These apps allow you to play YouTube videos in a small, resizable window that can be moved anywhere on the screen. This feature enables you to multitask and still enjoy your videos. To use this method, follow these steps:
- Install a floating app from the Google Play Store. Some popular options include Floating YouTube, FlyTube, and Popup Video.
- Open the YouTube app and start playing the video you want to minimize.
- Launch the floating app and select the YouTube video you opened. The video will now appear in a minimized window that you can move and resize as desired.
Utilizing the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode
Another method is to use the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, which allows you to minimize the video and continue watching it in a small window while using other apps. To activate PiP mode:
- Open the YouTube app and start playing the video you want to minimize.
- Enable the PiP mode by tapping the PiP icon, usually located in the top-right corner of the video player.
- The video will shrink into a small window that can be moved around the screen.
Customizing the Settings
Certain devices and versions of Android may allow for customization of the YouTube player settings to achieve a minimized view. Here’s how:
- Open the YouTube app and play a video.
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon located in the top-right corner of the video player.
- Select the “Settings” option.
- In the settings menu, look for options related to “Player size” or “Window size.” Adjust these settings to minimize the YouTube window as desired.
Create a Floating Window
To enable Picture-in-Picture mode, simply open the YouTube video you want to watch. Then, tap on the home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen to minimize the YouTube app. The video will continue playing in a small window that floats over other apps.
You can move the floating window around the screen by dragging it. You can also resize the window by pinching or spreading two fingers on it. To close the floating window, simply tap on the small X icon in the corner of the window.
Advanced Floating Window Controls
In addition to the basic controls mentioned above, there are a few advanced controls that you can use to customize the floating window experience.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Double tap | Pauses or plays the video |
| Swipe left or right | Skips to the next or previous video |
| Swipe up or down | Adjusts the volume |
| Pinch or spread two fingers | Resizes the window |
| Tap the X | Closes the window |
These advanced controls give you more flexibility to control the floating window while you are multitasking. For example, you can double-tap the window to pause the video while you read an email, or you can swipe left or right to skip to the next video without having to open the YouTube app.
Utilize the YouTube Mini Player
The YouTube mini player is a convenient feature that allows you to continue watching your videos while multitasking on your device. Here’s how to use it:
- Tap on the video you want to watch.
- Tap on the “Minimize” button located at the bottom of the video player.
- The video will shrink down to a small, movable window that you can drag and place anywhere on your screen.
- You can continue to control the video playback using the playback controls in the mini player.
- To close the mini player, tap on the “X” button located in the top-right corner of the player.
Here are some additional details about the YouTube mini player:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Resizing | You can pinch and zoom to adjust the size of the mini player. |
| Positioning | You can drag and place the mini player anywhere on your screen, even over other apps. |
| Playback | You can control the video playback using the playback controls in the mini player, including play/pause, rewind/fast-forward, and volume. |
Use Third-party Apps for Minimization
If the built-in minimization feature doesn’t meet your needs, you can download third-party apps from the Google Play Store that offer more customization options.
Floating Tube
Floating Tube is a popular app that allows you to create a floating window for YouTube videos. You can resize and move the window anywhere on your screen, making it easy to watch videos while multitasking.
Popup Video for YouTube
Popup Video for YouTube is another great app for minimizing YouTube videos. It lets you minimize videos as a small, resizable pop-up window that floats over other apps.
Ogyoutube
Ogyoutube is a comprehensive app that offers a wide range of features for YouTube minimization. In addition to a floating window mode, it also provides options for background playback, ad-blocking, and video downloading.
iTube
iTube is a feature-rich app that includes a minimization mode that allows you to watch YouTube videos while using other apps. It also offers support for background playback, screen casting, and video downloading.
NewPipe
NewPipe is an alternative YouTube player that focuses on privacy and customization. It offers a floating window mode that lets you minimize videos, as well as options for ad-blocking, background playback, and video downloading.
| App | Features | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floating Tube | Floating window, resizing, moving | Lightweight, easy to use | Limited features |
| Popup Video for YouTube | Pop-up window, resizing, floating | Rich features, customizable | May interfere with some apps |
| Ogyoutube | Floating window, background playback, ad-blocking, video downloading | Comprehensive feature set | Requires root access for full functionality |
| iTube | Floating window, background playback, screen casting, video downloading | Feature-rich, user-friendly | May consume more resources |
| NewPipe | Floating window, ad-blocking, background playback, video downloading | Privacy-focused, customizable | Limited features compared to other apps |
Shortcut to Minimize YouTube on Android
To quickly minimize YouTube on your Android device, follow these steps:
1. Open the YouTube app and start playing a video.
2. While the video is playing, tap on the home button on your Android device.
3. The YouTube video will minimize and continue playing in the background.
4. To return to the YouTube video, simply tap on the YouTube notification in your notification bar.
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips for minimizing YouTube on Android:
5. You can also use the pinch-to-zoom gesture to minimize YouTube. To do this, simply pinch two fingers together on the YouTube video.
6. If you want to keep YouTube minimized while you use other apps, you can enable the “Picture-in-picture” mode. To do this, tap on the “Picture-in-picture” icon in the bottom-right corner of the YouTube video.
7. You can customize the behavior of the YouTube app when it is minimized. To do this, open the YouTube app and tap on your profile picture. Then, tap on “Settings” and scroll down to the “Background and downloads” section. Here, you can choose whether you want YouTube to continue playing videos in the background, or if you want the videos to stop playing when you minimize the app.
Customize YouTube Playback Toolbar
The playback toolbar at the bottom of the YouTube video player provides quick access to essential controls like play/pause, rewind/fast-forward, volume, and the fullscreen mode toggle. However, if you find the toolbar distracting or want to free up more screen space for the video, you can customize it to minimize its appearance.
- Start playing any video on the YouTube mobile app.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the video player.
- Select “Settings” from the menu.
- Under the “General” tab, scroll down to the “Playback” section.
- Tap on “Minimize Playback Controls.”
- Choose one of the following options:
- “Always minimize playback controls” – This option will minimize the playback toolbar automatically for all videos.
- “Only minimize playback controls on fullscreen” – This option will only minimize the toolbar when the video is in fullscreen mode.
- “Never minimize playback controls” – This option will keep the playback toolbar visible at all times.
- Tap on “OK” to save your changes.
- The playback toolbar will now behave according to the selected option.
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Always minimize playback controls | Playback toolbar is minimized for all videos. |
| Only minimize playback controls on fullscreen | Playback toolbar is minimized only when the video is in fullscreen mode. |
| Never minimize playback controls | Playback toolbar is always visible. |
Quick Access to Minimized YouTube
For quick access to the minimized YouTube video player, follow these steps:
- Open the YouTube app on your Android device.
- Select a video that you want to watch.
- Start playing the video.
- Tap the minimized YouTube icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
The video will continue playing in the background while you use other apps or navigate your device.
To access the minimized YouTube video player again, simply tap the minimized YouTube icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
You can also use the following gestures to quickly access the minimized YouTube video player:
| Gesture | Description |
|---|---|
| Double-tap the home button | Minimizes the YouTube video player. |
| Press the Back button | Minimizes the YouTube video player and takes you to the previous screen. |
| Swipe up from the bottom of the screen | Opens the multitasking view, which shows all of the recently opened apps. The YouTube video player will be listed as one of the apps. |
How to Minimize YouTube on Android
YouTube is a popular video streaming platform that allows users to watch videos, create playlists, and share content with others. While the platform offers a great user experience, there are times when users may want to minimize the YouTube app to multitask or access other apps on their device. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to minimize YouTube on Android:
- Open the YouTube app on your Android device.
- Start playing the video you want to watch.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to minimize the YouTube app.
After following these steps, the YouTube app will be minimized and you can continue watching the video in a smaller window while accessing other apps on your device.
Additional Tips for Efficient Minimization
How To Minimize YouTube On Android
There are a few ways to minimize YouTube on Android. One way is to use the back button. When you are watching a video, simply press the back button on your phone to minimize the video. The video will continue to play in the background, and you can continue to use other apps on your phone.
Another way to minimize YouTube is to use the picture-in-picture mode. This mode allows you to watch a video in a small window while you use other apps on your phone. To use the picture-in-picture mode, simply tap on the picture-in-picture icon in the bottom-right corner of the video player.
If you are using an older version of Android, you may not have the picture-in-picture mode. In this case, you can use the split-screen mode to watch a video and use other apps at the same time. To use the split-screen mode, simply open the video you want to watch and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This will open the split-screen mode, and you can then select the app you want to use in the other half of the screen.
People Also Ask About How To Minimize YouTube On Android
Can I minimize YouTube on Android?
Yes, there are a few ways to minimize YouTube on Android. One way is to use the back button. Another way is to use the picture-in-picture mode. If you are using an older version of Android, you can use the split-screen mode.
How do I use the picture-in-picture mode on YouTube?
To use the picture-in-picture mode on YouTube, simply tap on the picture-in-picture icon in the bottom-right corner of the video player.
How do I use the split-screen mode on Android?
To use the split-screen mode on Android, simply open the video you want to watch and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This will open the split-screen mode, and you can then select the app you want to use in the other half of the screen.
