THE BROWSER COMPANIONS
Every tab.
Within reach.
The browser companion for Media Controls on Windows. Bring individual media tabs into Command Palette and the Dock, with playback controls in your browser's toolbar.
A little closer to your tabs.
See individual media tabs with their titles, artwork, and playback controls. Open the exact tab you want, even when it's in another browser window.
Popup controls remain usable while the desktop connection is unavailable.
Connected on your PC.
The desktop bridge is included in compatible Media Controls builds and starts when the browser connects. No separate desktop helper download or account is needed.
Media details and current page URLs are shared with that local bridge. Artwork and favicon requests can contact image providers. Read the privacy policy
Start with the desktop app.
- Install PowerToys with Command Palette and a Media Controls build whose release notes include Browser companion. Older desktop releases may not contain the bridge.
- Install the companion in every browser profile you use for media. See your browser's preview instructions below while store listings are pending.
- Open Media Controls > Media sources > Browser companion > Configure in Command Palette and choose Enable browser integration. Chrome and Edge preview builds need the extension IDs registered through Advanced > Developer setup, as described below.
- Reload the extension and existing media tabs. Check the popup for Desktop service connected, then start playing media with sound enabled.
Keep Windows media enabled for automatic fallback. Setup runs under your Windows account and does not require administrator access.
01 / MICROSOFT EDGE
Set up Edge.
Use Edge 119 or later. The Microsoft Edge Add-ons listing is pending.
Install the developer preview
- From a companion-enabled source checkout, open
edge://extensions, turn on Developer mode, and choose Load unpacked. Selectsrc/BrowserCompanion/extension, then copy its extension ID. - In Media Controls, open Media sources > Browser companion > Configure > Advanced. Paste the ID into Developer setup and choose Save developer setup.
- Reload the extension and your media tabs. Open the popup and look for Desktop service connected.
02 / GOOGLE CHROME
Set up Chrome.
Use Chrome 119 or later. The Chrome Web Store listing is pending.
Install the developer preview
Follow the Edge preview steps, opening chrome://extensions instead. Use the extension ID shown by Chrome.
Using both browsers? Enter both extension IDs in Developer setup, separated by commas. Keep an unpacked extension's folder in place so its ID remains stable.
03 / MOZILLA FIREFOX
Set up Firefox.
Use Firefox 153 or later. A signed Firefox Add-ons release isn't available yet. Allow the requested site access and local data transfer so the companion can share media details with Media Controls.
Install the temporary developer preview
From a companion-enabled source checkout, create the Firefox extension:
.\eng\Build-BrowserExtension.ps1 -Browser Firefox -OutputDirectory artifacts\BrowserCompanion\firefox-extension- Open
about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefoxand choose Load Temporary Add-on. - Select
manifest.jsonin the generated Firefox extension folder. - In Media Controls, open Media sources > Browser companion > Configure and choose Enable browser integration. No extension ID entry is needed for Firefox.
- Reload existing media tabs. Temporary add-ons need to be loaded again after restarting Firefox.
A few things to know.
- Start playing something with sound to make an HTML media player appear. Once found, it stays available when paused or muted.
- The popup can control tabs even when the desktop bridge is disconnected.
- Private browsing and browser-internal pages aren't supported.
- Available buttons and media details depend on the website.
- To disconnect the desktop bridge, use Configure > Advanced > Remove browser integration. Remove the browser add-on separately.