Option to pin video player while scrolling (YouTube-style)

[Uniquenameihave]

Checklist

• I made sure that there are no existing issues - open or closed - which I could contribute my information to.
• I have read the FAQ and my problem isn't listed.
• I'm aware that this is a request for NewPipe itself and that requests for adding a new service need to be made at NewPipeExtractor.
• I have taken the time to fill in all the required details. I understand that the feature request will be dismissed otherwise.
• This issue contains only one feature request.
• I have read and understood the contribution guidelines.

Feature description

Feature Description
Add an option to pin the video player at the top of the screen while scrolling through comments or recommended videos, similar to the behavior in the official YouTube app.

Currently, in NewPipe the player scrolls away when you move down to read comments or browse recommendations. With this feature enabled, the video player would remain visible (anchored at the top), so users can continue watching without needing to scroll back up.

This could be implemented as a toggle in Settings → Player (or UI), allowing users to choose between:

Pinned player (YouTube-style): Player stays fixed at the top while scrolling.

Scrollable player (current behavior): Player scrolls out of view with the page.

Why do you want this feature?

Why I want this feature
I often like to read comments or browse recommended videos while still watching the video. In the current NewPipe behavior, the player scrolls out of view, which means I lose sight of the video and have to scroll back up if I want to keep watching.

By having the player pinned at the top (like YouTube), I can:

Multitask easily → keep watching while reading comments or checking recommendations.

Save time → no need to scroll back up to resume watching.

Improve the viewing experience → especially useful for long videos, music tracks, or podcasts where I want to watch/listen continuously while engaging with the comment section.

Making it a toggle option would let users choose whichever behavior they prefer, so it benefits both styles of usage.

Additional information

This feature should be optional (via a toggle in Settings → Player/UI), so users who prefer the current scroll-away behavior can keep it.

[XYW16]

Thanks for considering this! I’d love an option to pin the video player at the top while scrolling through comments or related videos (YouTube-style). This would let users keep watching without scrolling back up.

Use case

I often read comments or browse recommendations during long videos/podcasts/music. With the current scroll-away behavior, I lose sight of the player and need to scroll back to resume.

Environment

Device: [Pixel 6a]

Android: [14]

NewPipe: [0.27.x • from F-Droid/GitHub nightly?]

Repro: Open any video → start playback → scroll down to Comments/Related → player scrolls out of view.

Proposal (opt-in setting)

Settings → Player/UI → “Pin player at top while scrolling” (default: OFF).

Portrait: the player remains anchored at the top; the content below (comments/related) scrolls.

Landscape/fullscreen: unchanged (full-screen continues to cover the screen).

Optional: when pinned, allow minimize to a small bar after a quick downward fling (tap to restore).

Acceptance criteria

With the toggle ON, scrolling the detail screen keeps the player visible at the top in portrait.

Switching tabs (Comments ↔ Related), seeking, quality changes, and opening the share/options menus do not detach/recreate the player surface or interrupt audio.

Rotating the device preserves playback and the pinned state (portrait pinned, landscape full-screen behaves as today).

Works with gesture navigation (no conflicts with back swipe), and doesn’t interfere with the swipe-to-next-item behavior if present.

Non-goals

Not Picture-in-Picture; not a floating system overlay. Just an in-page pinned player on the detail screen.

Implementation sketch (happy to try a PR if pointed to the right place)

Keep the player container in a non-scrolling region (e.g., CoordinatorLayout header or a fixed ConstraintLayout region), and let the comments/related list RecyclerView scroll beneath.

Alternatively, use a sticky header approach where the player container acts as a sticky section that remains at y=0 while the list scrolls.

Ensure the existing ExoPlayer instance/surface is not re-inflated on scroll to avoid glitches and audio gaps.

I’d appreciate pointers to the current detail screen structure (fragment/activity + layout) and the best place to hook this without breaking lifecycle expectations.

If maintainers are open to this, I can prototype the layout change behind a feature flag and share a test build.

[Stypox]

Duplicate of #4484, @XYW16 I posted your comment there