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Pinky UI

Floating Media Controls

Floating Media Controls keep a media surface quiet at rest, reveal the small control set after a tap and collapse it after idle. The primary play control never disappears from the interaction model.

Live example

Try the interaction before reading the recipe.

real component · keyboard-safe

Media / Lesson 01Paused
Tap the surface for controls

Purpose

Floating Media Controls keep a media surface quiet at rest, reveal the small control set after a tap and collapse it after idle. The primary play control never disappears from the interaction model.

Use when

  • A media preview needs occasional playback without a permanent desktop control bar.
  • The content should remain visually primary.

Interaction

Tap the surface to reveal controls, use Play/Pause and let the layer settle back after idle. Tapping the control itself keeps the action visible.

Accessibility

Use a labelled Play/Pause button and announce the current playback state. Do not make hover the only reveal path.

Reduced motion

Keep the controls visible or switch visibility without opacity travel; the play state remains explicit.

Tune

  • Keep the idle timeout long enough for touch users.
  • Let the host own actual media playback and cleanup.

Source: packages/skills/mobile/floating-media-controls.md