Up to two reference views
Keep one or two independent browser, document, video, chat, dashboard, or other supported windows visible while you work in another app.
macOS menu bar utility
Pocket Screen
Keep up to two windows visible while working somewhere else.
Pocket Screen turns the current frontmost window into a compact, always-on-top PiP-style reference view. Add a second view when needed, then switch the selected PiP to the current frontmost window with the global shortcut.
Instant target switching
The global shortcut (Option-Command-P by default) creates the first PiP, then switches the selected PiP to the current frontmost window. Add Another PiP and Close Selected PiP also have configurable global shortcuts.
Focus View
Select a region inside a PiP and expand just that area to fill the view. Each PiP keeps its own Focus View state.
Per-PiP controls
Each active PiP can have its own opacity and Update Quality, along with independent Freeze and Click-Through controls.
Temporary Hide
Temporarily hide all PiPs with Shift plus the primary shortcut, then restore them without losing their source, position, Focus View, freeze, click-through, opacity, or quality state.
Move, resize, and remember
Each always-on-top view can be moved, resized, and snapped near screen edges. Pocket Screen stores the position of each PiP separately.
Live content, processed locally
Pocket Screen uses macOS ScreenCaptureKit to mirror selected windows continuously, including video and other changing content. Captured pixels stay on your Mac.
Space- and display-aware
PiPs hide when their source Space is unavailable and return when the source becomes available again. Placement is preserved across target and display changes.
Optional capture exclusion on macOS 26+
On macOS 26 or later, an optional setting can ask macOS to exclude PiP windows from supported screenshots, screen recordings, and screen sharing. The setting is off by default.
How it works
- Bring the first window you want to keep visible to the front.
- Press the configured global shortcut or use the menu bar to create the first PiP.
- Add a second PiP from the menu bar, Settings, or the configured Add Another PiP shortcut when you need another reference view.
- Click or move a PiP to select it, then press the primary shortcut to switch that PiP to the current frontmost window.
- Use Focus View, opacity, Update Quality, Freeze, or Click-Through as needed. Shift plus the primary shortcut temporarily hides or restores all PiPs.
Pocket Screen requires macOS Screen Recording permission so it can capture the selected window. Captured content is used only for the local PiP preview.
System Requirements
Pocket Screen requires macOS 14 or later. It is designed for both Apple silicon Macs and Intel Macs.