How to keep a video tutorial on top in Chrome
Choose between a floating video and a floating webpage, then set up a tutorial workspace without hiding the task you are practising.
Updated 2026-10-02
To keep a YouTube tutorial visible while you work, start with Chrome's built-in picture-in-picture (PiP). It puts the playing video in a small floating window. If you need the lesson's written instructions instead, use a floating webpage.
Choose the content you need to see before installing anything. A video player and a webpage solve different parts of following a lesson.
Start with Chrome's video controls
Google's Chrome Help describes this desktop workflow:
- Open the tutorial in Chrome and start playback.
- At the top right of Chrome, select Media control.
- Select Enter picture-in-picture.
- Drag the floating player to a place that leaves your working area clear.
Switch to the tab where you are practising and check that the video remains visible. Chrome's developer documentation describes PiP as a video window that floats above other windows, including while you use another application.
If the option is missing for your video, do not assume that installing a webpage extension will fix it. Return to the original player or arrange the tutorial and your work side by side.
Decide whether you need video or page content
The standard video PiP window contains the video, not the surrounding lesson page. A course might also have written steps or links that you need to consult.
| What you need visible | Start with | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The instructor's video | Chrome video PiP | The picture is large enough to follow |
| Written lesson instructions | A floating webpage | Text and required controls display correctly |
| Video and a long page together | A side-by-side layout | Both windows leave enough room for your task |
Some websites provide richer PiP players with extra controls. Chrome also supports Document Picture-in-Picture, which lets websites put HTML content in a floating window. That does not mean the standard video button automatically brings along every page's text or controls.
Float the written material with Always on Top Window
If you need a webpage rather than just its video, Always on Top Window provides a tab-and-link workflow. Install the extension from its Chrome Web Store page before following these steps:
- Open the page containing the written steps in Chrome.
- Click the extension's toolbar icon to open the current tab in a floating view.
- Move and resize the view so the instructions are readable without covering your work.
- Keep the original tab open. Closing it also closes the floating view.
You can also right-click a link and choose Open link in Always-on-top Window. The setup guide shows the two entry points, and the Chrome Web Store listing documents the source-tab requirement.
Use the original page if the floating version fails to display the content you need. The extension works with Chrome web content; it does not pin arbitrary desktop applications.
Make the tutorial readable without covering your work
For example, suppose you are following a spreadsheet lesson. Position the video where it does not cover the cells you are editing. When the instructor explains the next step, pause the video, complete that step in your spreadsheet, then resume playback. This is a suggested layout, not a test of a particular course.
If text shown in the video is too small to read in the floating player, return to the original video for that section. A window that stays visible is not useful if you cannot read its content.
For a written lesson, our reference-page guide covers positioning a floating webpage. Keep automatic refresh off while reading instructions or entering text: a reload can interrupt the task.
Check the setup before continuing
Try one short step before settling into the lesson:
- Switch to your working tab or application and confirm that the needed content is still visible.
- Check that you can reach your usual controls without moving the floating window each time.
- Return to the original page if you need controls or material that the floating view does not show.
- For Always on Top Window, leave the source tab open.
If the layout is cramped, use two windows side by side. You do not have to float everything: video PiP is enough for a video-only lesson, while written material may benefit from a separate webpage view.