Pin Windows – Always on Top can keep a separate YouTube browser window above ordinary desktop windows and make it semi-transparent. Open the video in its own window, pin that window and adjust its opacity; you can then see your work behind the video without switching applications.
Open the video in a separate browser window
Load the YouTube video in a new browser window before pinning anything. A tab belongs to its browser window: pinning your everyday browser would also keep its other tabs above your work whenever you switch to them. A separate window gives the video its own size and position.
Keep the browser and player in normal windowed mode. Resize the window to a corner where you can still see the document, drawing or spreadsheet you are using. Pin Windows controls a window, so its transparency also affects the browser frame, player controls and subtitles—not just the moving picture.
Pin the window, then make it translucent
- Start playback and choose a usable window size. Leave the video's pause button easy to reach.
- Open Pin Windows and choose Pick window, or use its configured picker shortcut. The default is
Ctrl+Alt+P. Select the separate video window. - Click back into your working application and check that the intended window remains visible.
- On that window's card in Pin Windows, try the 75% opacity preset. If you want to see more of the work underneath, compare the 50% preset.
- Read a line of text behind the video and a subtitle inside it. Move or resize the window if either becomes hard to follow.
The percentages describe opacity: 75% keeps more of the video visible than 50%. Pin Windows provides a range from 30% to 100%; use Reset to return to full opacity. There is no single best value for every video and background.
Choose whether clicks go to the video or your work
Transparency changes what you see. Click-through changes which window receives the mouse. A semi-transparent video can still intercept clicks when click-through is off. That is useful when you often pause, seek or change the volume.
Optional click-through is better suited to a video you intend to leave playing while using controls underneath it. Before enabling it, locate the switch on the window's Pin Windows card and the Restore command. Turn click-through off before trying to operate the YouTube player again.
Match the settings to the task
| What you want | Start with | Check |
|---|---|---|
| A tutorial visible while following its steps | Pinned window, modest transparency, click-through off | Subtitles and pause controls stay readable |
| A quiet background video above a large workspace | Small pinned window; compare 75% and 50% opacity | Neither the picture nor the work becomes distracting |
| Access to buttons behind the video | Optional click-through | You know how to switch it off |
| Frequent seeking or volume changes | Click-through off | Click the video window deliberately before using player controls |
Always on top is a display order, not keyboard focus. After you return to your editor, a key such as Space may go to that editor rather than pause YouTube. Activate the video window before using its keyboard controls.
Understand where an overlay may not work
A pinned window stays above ordinary windows. It is not guaranteed to outrank another window that is also topmost, and full-screen games or video that take over the display are outside the supported workflow. Use a normal desktop window when diagnosing a problem.
Transparency also depends on the application that owns the window. If the browser or video surface does not display correctly, restore the window and compare it at 100% opacity. Do not keep lowering opacity to repair a black or missing picture. Pin Windows changes window behaviour; YouTube still controls playback, account features and the content itself.
Return the video window to normal
Use Restore on the video's card when you only want to undo changes to that window. For an overlay you cannot reach, Restore all is available from Pin Windows' tray menu. Its default shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R; it restores all windows changed by the utility, not just the video.
If you changed the shortcuts, use the combinations shown in your settings. Pinning is not restored automatically after a PC restart: open your video and select its window again for the next session. You can keep the arrangement simple by starting with one video window.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make only the YouTube picture transparent?
Pin Windows applies opacity to the selected window, including its frame and player controls. Use a separate browser window so that your other browser work is unaffected.
Is transparency the same as click-through?
No. Transparency lets you see the window underneath. Optional click-through sends mouse clicks to it; switch that option off to operate the video player.
Will the video stay above every full-screen app?
No. Use ordinary desktop windows. Other topmost windows and applications that take over the display can prevent the expected arrangement.
How do I regain control of a click-through video window?
Disable click-through from its Pin Windows card, restore that window, or use Restore all from the tray menu. The default Restore all shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R.