Google Chrome for Android is reportedly testing a picture-in-picture mode for custom tabs

Google Chrome for Android is reportedly working on an interesting feature that allows users to minimize a custom tab in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode. The Chrome Custom Tab is a browser-extended feature for third-party app developers who want to build an in-app web browser experience through the Chrome browser. This new update will allow users to browse sites without worrying about losing their preferred website. Recently, Google also announced new generative artificial intelligence (AI) features for the Chrome browser for Windows and Mac computers.

Spotted by 9to5Google, the undertesting feature is only available for Chrome’s custom tabs. For the uninitiated, these are the web pages that open when a link is clicked in apps like Gmail. Opening such a URL reportedly shows a down arrow next to the return icon. Touch the arrow to minimize the window to the PiP interface. The PiP window displays information such as site icons, site or page name, and domain. The feature was seen in Chrome 122, which is the stable version, but according to the report, it has only been rolled out to a small number of users.

According to the screenshots shared, the content on the page cannot be seen while the tab is minimized. It is not known whether opening a video streaming site like YouTube and playing the video will display the video in PiP mode or not.

The report also highlights that the PiP window can be resized to scale and scroll across the screen, although it can only be docked on the left or right edge. To return to the page, users can tap the window and click the full-screen icon in the middle, and either swipe down or tap the ‘x’ icon to close it. In PiP mode, only one card can be held at a time, according to the report.

This can be a useful feature for Chrome’s custom tabs as they currently do not have the ability to open multiple tabs. Users can navigate to other pages via links within the page, but to return to the original page, they will have to navigate back through all the web pages. The process can be tedious and act as a deterrent for users to explore other sites, even if they want to.