Borderless Windowed icon

Borderless Windowed

Turn any webpage into a borderless popup or a mini picture-in-picture window. Stay focused, stay floating.

Introduction

Borderless Windowed lets you open the current page as a clean, borderless popup window or a compact Picture-in-Picture (PiP) overlay. It is perfect for:

Everything is accessible from a single click on the extension icon, a right-click menu, or a keyboard shortcut.

Quick Start

You can start using the extension in seconds. Choose the method that suits you best:

  1. Click the extension icon icon in the Chrome toolbar to open the control panel.
  2. Click the large "Open Float Window" button — the current page will instantly open in a borderless popup using your default mode.
  3. Alternatively, right-click anywhere on a page and choose from the extension's context menu.
Tip: If you prefer a one-click experience, go to Settings → Click Action and choose "Open Float Window Directly". Then clicking the extension icon will skip the panel and open the window immediately.

Opening Modes

There are four ways to open a page as a floating window, each with a different behavior for the original tab:

📋
Clone

Keep the original tab and open a copy (with history) in a new float window

➡️
Move

Move the current tab into a new float window

🔄
Reopen

Keep the original tab, open the same URL in a float window (no history)

🪟
PiP

Open a compact picture-in-picture overlay that stays on top of other windows

You can set your default mode in the Settings page. Each mode is also available directly from the right-click context menu.

Right-Click Menu

Right-click anywhere on a page (or on a link) to see all available actions:

ActionDescription
Clone as FloatDuplicate the current tab and open the copy in a float window
Move to FloatMove the current tab into a float window
Reopen as FloatKeep current tab, reopen the same URL in a float window
PiP (Full Page)Open the entire page as a compact picture-in-picture overlay
PiP (Pick Element)Select a specific part of the page to put into picture-in-picture
Split-ScreenLeft / Right / Top / Bottom — open a float window occupying half of your screen
IncognitoOpen the page in a private incognito float window
RestoreMove all tabs from a float window back to a regular Chrome window
SettingsOpen the extension settings page

Control Panel

Click the extension icon to open the Float Control Panel. Here's what you can do:

One-Click Open

The large button at the top opens the current page as a float window using your default mode.

Split-Screen

Quick buttons let you open the page as a left, right, top, or bottom half-screen float window without going through the right-click menu.

Favorites

You can save frequently visited websites for quick access:

  1. Type a URL (e.g., https://example.com) into the input box and click Add.
  2. Click any saved item to open it instantly in a new float window.
  3. Click the × button on an item to remove it from the list.

Favorites are saved locally and will be there when you reopen the panel.

Theme

Switch between Light, Dark, and System (follows your OS setting) themes directly from the panel. Your choice is remembered.

Settings

Click "Detailed Settings" at the bottom of the panel to configure resolution, default mode, boss key, and more.

Picture-in-Picture (PiP)

Document PiP creates a small, always-on-top floating window that stays visible even when you switch to another application.

How to Start PiP

  1. Right-click on a page → choose "PiP (Full Page)" or "PiP (Pick Element)".
  2. Right-click already has user activation, so PiP will open immediately.
Cold pages: If you open PiP from the control panel on a page that has not been interacted with (clicked), Chrome requires a user gesture. A hint popup will appear — simply click anywhere on the hint to confirm and start PiP.

PiP Toolbar

When PiP is active, a toolbar at the top of the overlay gives you these controls:

ButtonAction
Open in New TabOpen the PiP content in a regular browser tab
Switch to Float WindowConvert the PiP overlay into a full borderless popup
Fade ContentMake the PiP content semi-transparent (useful for reducing distraction)
Toggle BackgroundSwitch the fade effect's background color

Element Picker

Use "PiP (Pick Element)" from the right-click menu to select a specific part of the page:

  1. Hover over elements — the one under your cursor will be highlighted.
  2. Use the ↑ / ↓ arrow keys to expand or shrink the selection area.
  3. Click the element to open it in PiP.
  4. Press Esc at any time to cancel.
Compatibility note: PiP works best on static content pages (articles, documentation). Dynamic sites like email or social media feeds may not display everything perfectly inside the PiP window.

Boss Key (Panic Veil)

When you have a PiP window open and need to hide it quickly, press Alt+Q — the PiP will instantly be covered with a fake work screen.

FeatureDescription
Alt+QToggle the boss key veil on/off. Only works when Chrome is in the foreground.
Veil PresetsChoose from Terminal (zsh-style), Document (Notion-style product workspace), or Slides (presentation with charts)
Custom ImageUpload your own screenshot as the veil background
Auto MuteWhen enabled, PiP audio is automatically muted when the veil activates and restored when it is lifted

How to Configure

  1. Open the Settings page.
  2. Scroll to the Boss Key section.
  3. Toggle the feature On.
  4. Choose a veil preset or upload a custom image.
  5. Decide whether to enable Auto Mute.
Tip: For best results, upload a horizontal screenshot of your actual work (code, spreadsheet, email) as the custom image — it will look most convincing.

Keyboard Shortcuts

The extension registers the following commands. You can view or customize them on Chrome's extension shortcuts page.

ShortcutCommandDescription
Alt+Q Boss Key Toggle the panic veil over PiP
Ctrl+Shift+F Open Float Quickly open the current page as a float window
Ctrl+Shift+P Quick PiP Quickly open the current page in Picture-in-Picture mode

How to Customize Shortcuts

  1. Open the extension's Settings page.
  2. In the Keyboard Shortcuts section, click "Open Shortcut Settings".
  3. This takes you to Chrome's extension shortcuts page (chrome://extensions/shortcuts).
  4. Find Borderless Windowed in the list and click the pencil icon next to any command to set your preferred key combination.
Note: Some key combinations may conflict with Chrome's built-in shortcuts or other extensions. If a shortcut doesn't work, try a different combination.

Settings Page

Open Settings from the control panel (bottom link), the right-click menu, or by navigating to chrome://extensions → Details → Extension Options.

Available Settings

SectionSettingDescription
Resolution Width & Height Default size (in pixels) for new float windows. Quick presets let you apply common resolutions or match your current screen.
Window State Normal / Maximized Whether new float windows should open in normal or fullscreen-like mode.
Default Mode Clone / Move / Reopen / PiP Which opening mode to use when clicking the main button or the default right-click option.
Click Action Open Panel / Open Float What happens when you click the extension icon — show the control panel, or open a float window directly.
Shortcuts View / Customize View all registered shortcuts and jump to Chrome's shortcut settings.
Boss Key On / Off Enable or disable the boss key feature (Alt+Q).
Veil Preset Terminal / Document / Slides / Custom Choose the fake work screen or upload your own image.
Auto Mute On / Off Mute PiP audio automatically when the boss key veil activates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the PiP window not open when I click the button in the control panel?
Chrome requires a user gesture (a mouse click or key press) before it can create a Picture-in-Picture window. Opening PiP from the right-click menu works immediately because the right-click itself counts as a gesture. When opening from the control panel, you may see a "Click to start" hint popup — just click it once and PiP will start.
The boss key (Alt+Q) does nothing when I press it.
The boss key only works when both conditions are met: (1) a PiP window is currently open, and (2) your Chrome window is in the foreground (has focus). Also make sure the boss key is enabled in Settings. If it still doesn't work, another extension or Chrome itself may have taken over the Alt+Q shortcut — you can change it on Chrome's shortcuts page.
How do I change a keyboard shortcut?
Go to the Settings page → Keyboard Shortcuts section → click "Open Shortcut Settings". This opens Chrome's built-in shortcuts manager where you can rebind any command for the extension.
Some websites don't work with picture-in-picture. Why?
Chrome's Document PiP works best on simple, static pages like articles, documentation, or blogs. Dynamic websites (web apps, email clients, social media feeds) that rely on JavaScript to keep updating the page may not display correctly inside PiP. When this happens, the extension automatically falls back to opening the page as a regular borderless popup instead. You can also manually switch from PiP to float window using the toolbar button.
Can I use the extension on chrome:// or Chrome Web Store pages?
For security reasons, Chrome prevents extensions from running on chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store, and other restricted URLs. The extension supports http://, https://, and file:// protocols. When you try to open an unsupported page, a notification will inform you.
Is my custom image stored online? Is it private?
Everything stays on your computer. Your custom veil image is compressed and stored locally in Chrome's internal storage (chrome.storage.local). It is never uploaded to any server. You can clear it at any time from the Settings page.
The extension icon is grayed out on some pages.
The icon may appear gray on chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store, and a few other restricted URLs where extensions cannot operate. This is normal — the extension simply cannot access those pages. On regular websites (http:// / https://), the icon should be active.
Where are my favorites saved? Can I sync them across devices?
Favorites are stored in your local browser storage. If you sign in to Chrome and have sync enabled, sync storage data may sync across your devices, but local storage data stays on the current device only. Favorites will persist even after restarting Chrome.
The extension stopped working after a Chrome update.
Try these steps in order:
  1. Go to chrome://extensions, find Borderless Windowed, and click the refresh icon on the extension card.
  2. If that doesn't help, toggle the extension off and back on.
  3. As a last resort, remove and reinstall the extension (your settings will be lost unless you back them up).

Troubleshooting

Float Window Doesn't Appear

  1. Make sure you are on a supported http:// or https:// page.
  2. Check the extension's permissions — it needs activeTab access. Try refreshing the page and clicking the icon again.
  3. Disable other extensions temporarily to check for conflicts.

Context Menu Items Missing

  1. Go to chrome://extensions and click Details on Borderless Windowed.
  2. Toggle the extension off and back on to re-register the context menus.
  3. Refresh any open page you want to use the extension on.

Boss Key Not Responding

  1. Verify boss key is enabled in Settings.
  2. Make sure a PiP window is currently open.
  3. Check that your Chrome window is in the foreground (click on it to focus it).
  4. Another extension or system app may be using Alt+Q — try changing the shortcut.

Custom Image Not Saving

  1. The image is automatically compressed to 1600px max dimension and saved as JPEG. Very large images may take a moment.
  2. If you see an error message, the image file might be corrupted. Try a different image.
  3. Clear the current image and upload again.
Still not working? If you've tried everything and the extension still isn't working as expected, please contact the developer with details about what happened. Include which website you were on, what you clicked, and what you expected to happen. This helps us fix the issue faster.