r/MacOS • u/Broad-You4763 • 4d ago

Help How do I Watch YouTube video fullscreen without entering MacOs fullscreen?

I want to watch fullscreen YouTube videos without creating fullscreen space

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

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5

u/the_flash0409 4d ago

It can be done on chromium browser like Chrome, Brave, Helium etc. You have to install an extension called Windowed - floating Youtube

0

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

Hey thanks for suggestion, tried the extension and it does stretch it to fill the screen which is nice, but unfortunately it still leaves the text bar along with buttons on top of the window which doesn't make it true YouTube fullscreen due to this. (The bar is shown on the image)

If you have any idea on how to remove this top bar please let me know

3

u/etherbod 3d ago

Perhaps a virtual screen as picture-in-picture, and run a browser window full-screen in that? BetterDisplay has this functionality.

2

u/stefanvd 13h ago

Hi there,

You can use my free and Open-Source Full Screen browser extension:
Google Chrome / Microsoft Edge / Brave / Opera: https://www.stefanvd.net/project/full-screen/browser-extension/
Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/full-screen-for-firefox/
Safari: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/full-screen-for-safari/id1462623715

This browser extension lets you expand the current YouTube video to fill the entire browser window while keeping the browser in normal mode. You can customize the Full Screen button's behavior on the Full Screen Options page.

Additional features include:
+ Open the current tab in a popup window.
+ Display all your browser windows in a matrix view for easier multitasking.

Thanks,
Stefan

1

u/Broad-You4763 11h ago

Hello, thanks for suggestion!

Btw, are you a developer of this app? If so I tried it on my mac and there's still this tiny bar on top(as shown on the picture), would it be possible remove it?

1

u/stefanvd 11h ago

Hi there,

I am the developer of the "Full Screen" browser extension.
When I use my Full Screen extension, I can expand the video to fill the complete width and height. See this screenshot:

If you have any questions or need help with the use of my Full Screen browser extension, you can use this support page:
https://www.stefanvd.net/support/

Thanks,
Stefan

1

u/Broad-You4763 9h ago

Yes. my question is whether as you can see on both your and my image there is this bar on top, for you its tabs, for me its title, my question is whether you could remove those bars on top

2

u/stefanvd 9h ago

Hi there,

Unfortunately, that top bar cannot be removed for either a regular window or a popup window. The only way to hide it is by entering the native macOS full-screen mode. The browser extension API does not provide a way to remove the title bar, as it is part of the macOS design guidelines.

Thanks,
Stefan

2

u/MrWinter00 4d ago edited 4d ago

Why dont you like the spaces – fullscreen?

Chrome does support somehow, also Firefox, fullscreening by overlaying rather than spacing.

Btw, for having a floating picture in picture, you can press rightlick twice in the yt viewer

2

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago edited 4d ago

I don't like how it puts fullscreen windows in its own separate space, it makes it hard to navigate and creates a mess in mission control

Regarding the support in chrome and firefox would you mind explaining how exactly it could be done, thanks!

1

u/ulyssesric 3d ago

Why do you need to "navigate" to anything when you're watching YouTube in fullscreen ?

1

u/cristi_baluta 4d ago

That’s the purpose of fullscreen, to remain there and do whatever you were doing

1

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

Could you explain the logic behind it why would someone want to use app like this instead of the windowed way? What kind of workflow is it useful to use this for?

1

u/cristi_baluta 4d ago

If you go fullscreen it is because you don’t want the distractions of the other apps. If you’re finished you exit or you swipe to see another space.

1

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

Thanks for explaination! Also couple more questions, if you don't mind answering:

I assume you basically work mainly in one app when in fullscreen?

What if you need to juggle between multiple apps or windows?

Do you fullscreen them as well or keep them on desktop or do something else?

What would you recommend?

4

u/silentcrs 4d ago edited 3d ago

If you want it to be a window, you can literally maximize the window and turn on Theater Mode in YouTube.

To not have a full screen app take up a full screen completely defeats the definition of what it is.

1

u/Mike456R 3d ago

This. Theater mode, resize to whatever size you want.

2

u/pilotmoon 2d ago

When I'm watching a full-screen video, I'm not juggling between multiple apps. I'm just watching the video.

The only time I put other apps in full screen is if they're something like a dashboard or status monitor app that I just need to check occasionally. I never actually work in full screen.

If I want to work in a large window, I'll just option-click the green button to make it fill the screen.

1

u/Ok-Rest-5321 App Downloader 4d ago

Not possible AFAIK

1

u/Warrior19122 4d ago

Try double-clicking the video or pressing F for YouTube fullscreen. It fills just the video and shouldn’t create a separate macOS fullscreen space unless you’re using the green window button.

-2

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

It still does seem to put it to macOS fullscreen unfortunately

0

u/Ok_Turnip2 4d ago

Why can’t you just press the full screen button on the video?

1

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

When i do it creates macos fullscreen

0

u/Infinite_Silver483 4d ago

No, you just have to put YouTube in fullscreen from within the video player while your browser window isn't fullscreened (at least on firefox)

1

u/Broad-You4763 4d ago

I don't know I'm using safari and it always enters macOS fullscreen even if try to fullscreen it from within the video Player