Speed Up, Screenshot and Pop Out YouTube Shorts
On a computer, the Shorts player is bare: no speed menu, no picture-in-picture, no way to grab a frame or dim a blinding one. Previews adds those buttons to the column beside the Short, right above like and comment.
How do you change the speed of YouTube Shorts on a computer?
YouTube's desktop Shorts player has no speed menu. With Previews, a speed button sits at the top of the column beside the Short. Click it to speed up; hover it and two more buttons slide out to slow down or reset to normal. The speed goes from 0.1x to 8x.
The speed you pick stays set as you scroll, so the next Short plays at the same speed, and a small badge above the button shows it whenever it is not 1x. Hovering the speed buttons also opens a small menu to change the step size, and the same keyboard shortcuts as Previews' playback speed controls on regular videos work on Shorts too.
Can you watch YouTube Shorts in picture-in-picture?
Yes. The picture-in-picture button pops the current Short into a floating window that stays on top while you use other tabs or apps. Click it again to bring it back. On Firefox, use the browser's own picture-in-picture toggle on the video instead.
How do you take a screenshot of a YouTube Short?
Click the screenshot button. It captures the frame on screen at the video's full resolution, without the buttons and captions YouTube draws on top. It uses the same options as the screenshot button on regular videos, including burst mode.
There is also a record button for saving a clip of a Short. It is off by default; turn it on in the Shorts column of Player Controls in the settings if you want it.
How do you see how much of a Short is left?
YouTube hides the Shorts progress bar while a Short plays unless your mouse is over the video. Turn on Always Show Shorts Progress Bar and it stays on screen, so you can see how far in you are at a glance.
Can YouTube Shorts play the next one automatically?
Yes, with Auto-Scroll. Click its button in the same column once to turn it on; from then on, when a Short ends Previews moves to the next one instead of looping it, so a Shorts session runs hands-free.
How do you dim a bright YouTube Short?
Click the FlashBang Defender button (the lightning bolt). It lays a dark layer over the Short, so a sudden white screen does not blind you when you are scrolling in a dark room. Hover the button to get a slider for how dark it goes.
The dimming stays on as you scroll to the next Shorts, until you click the button again.
| Control | YouTube Shorts | With Previews |
|---|---|---|
| Playback speed | No speed menu | 0.1x to 8x, kept as you scroll |
| Picture-in-picture | No button | One click (Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers) |
| Dimming | None | FlashBang Defender, adjustable |
| Screenshot | None | Full-resolution frame, single or burst |
| Progress bar | Hidden while playing unless you hover | Always visible (optional) |
| Next Short | Loops until you scroll | Auto-Scroll moves on by itself |
How to turn them on
- Install Previews from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Edge Add-ons.
- Open a YouTube Short. The speed, FlashBang Defender, screenshot, picture-in-picture (not on Firefox) and Auto-Scroll buttons appear by default, at the top of the column beside the Short. Click the Auto-Scroll button once to turn it on; it remembers.
- To change which buttons appear, click the small Previews logo under them (or the Previews icon in your browser's toolbar), open the YouTube tab and use the Shorts column in Player Controls.
- For the always-visible progress bar, turn on Always Show Shorts Progress Bar in Player.
Frequently asked questions
Can you change YouTube Shorts speed on PC?
Not with YouTube alone, because the desktop Shorts player has no speed menu. Previews adds a speed button beside the Short, from 0.1x to 8x.
Does the speed reset when I scroll to the next Short?
No. The speed you choose carries over to the next Shorts until you reset it, and the badge above the speed button shows the current speed.
Can I hide buttons I do not use?
Yes. Each button has its own Shorts switch in the settings, so you can keep only the ones you want.
Does it work on Firefox?
Yes. Previews is available on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Chromium browsers such as Brave and Opera. On Firefox the picture-in-picture button is left out, because Firefox has its own.