How to Completely Disable ‘Picture in Picture’ (PiP) via Group Policy in Microsoft Edge

Picture in Picture (PiP) is a feature in Microsoft Edge that allows users to pop a video out of its original webpage and float it in a small, resizable window over other tabs or applications. While this is fantastic for multitasking with a tutorial or watching a presentation, it is a well-known distraction vector in corporate environments. Furthermore, the floating video window can sometimes bypass certain screen recording or display management restrictions, causing minor compliance headaches for IT administrators managing strict kiosk deployments or heavily monitored workstations.

This guide explains how to completely disable the Picture in Picture (PiP) feature system-wide in Microsoft Edge using Group Policy, ensuring videos remain locked within their parent webpage.

Disable Picture in Picture via Group Policy

To enforce a strict block that removes the PiP overlay button from videos and disables the right-click context menu option for floating playback, we must deploy an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, navigate precisely to this path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge

5. In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Picture in Picture.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Disabled.
8. Click Apply, then click OK.

Verify the Feature Lockdown

Group Policy changes require the browser to read the registry upon its next launch. Close all active instances of Microsoft Edge.

To verify the restriction is active, reopen Microsoft Edge and navigate to a popular video hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo. Hover your mouse cursor over the video player; the floating “Picture in Picture” icon that usually appears at the top center will be completely missing. Right-click twice on the video player to bring up the browser’s native media context menu; the “Picture in picture” option will either be completely gone or greyed out. Users are now forced to watch media entirely within the standard browser tab structure.