[Bug] Google Chrome automatically exits YouTube fullscreen after a few seconds

[diego-unipi]

Description

On Pop!_OS 24.04 with COSMIC, Google Chrome automatically exits YouTube fullscreen a few seconds after entering it.

The problem persists after fully updating the system and rebooting.

Steps to reproduce

1. Start Google Chrome normally.
2. Open any YouTube video.
3. Enter fullscreen using the player button or the F key.
4. Wait a few seconds.

Expected behavior

The video should remain fullscreen until the user explicitly exits fullscreen.

Actual behavior

After a few seconds, Chrome automatically returns to windowed mode without any user input.

Tests performed

The problem still occurs:

• when Chrome is started normally;
• when the Chrome window is not maximized;
• with all user-installed extensions disabled simultaneously;
• with Chrome started using --ozone-platform=x11;
• after updating Pop!_OS and COSMIC and rebooting;
• with --disable-features=MediaRouter;
• with selected internal AI component features disabled.

The problem does not occur when Chrome is started with a clean temporary profile:

pkill -f google-chrome
rm -rf /tmp/chrome-clean-test
google-chrome-stable \
  --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-clean-test \
  --ozone-platform=x11

The problem also does not occur with the existing Chrome profile when using:

pkill -f google-chrome
google-chrome-stable \
  --ozone-platform=x11 \
  --disable-component-extensions-with-background-pages

However, using only:

google-chrome-stable \
  --disable-component-extensions-with-background-pages

does not solve the problem.

Disabling all normal extensions through chrome://extensions also does not solve it.

This suggests that the problem may depend on both:

• some state or setting in the existing Chrome profile;
• the interaction between Chrome/XWayland and COSMIC.

I do not want to reset or replace my existing Chrome profile, and the working command-line flag disables internal Chrome components, so it is not a suitable permanent solution.

Environment

Google Chrome

Google Chrome 151.0.7922.71

COSMIC compositor package

cosmic-comp:
  Installed: 0.1~1785355703~24.04~091583a
  Candidate: 0.1~1785355703~24.04~091583a
  Version table:
 *** 0.1~1785355703~24.04~091583a 1001
       1001 http://apt.pop-os.org/release noble/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

COSMIC session package

cosmic-session:
  Installed: 1.0.0~1783021552~24.04~b5ef6c0
  Candidate: 1.0.0~1783021552~24.04~b5ef6c0
  Version table:
 *** 1.0.0~1783021552~24.04~b5ef6c0 1001
       1001 http://apt.pop-os.org/release noble/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Kernel

7.0.11-76070011-generic

Session

XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=COSMIC

Graphics hardware and drivers

0000:00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation TigerLake-LP GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] TigerLake-LP GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics]
	Kernel driver in use: i915
	Kernel modules: i915, xe
--
0000:01:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP107M [GeForce MX350] (rev a1)
	Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] GP107M [GeForce MX350]
	Kernel driver in use: nouveau
	Kernel modules: nvidiafb, nouveau, nova_core
--
10000:e1:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Sandisk Corp SanDisk Ultra 3D / WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Sandisk Corp WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD
	Kernel driver in use: nvme
	Kernel modules: nvme

Additional information

• OS: Pop!_OS 24.04
• Desktop environment: COSMIC
• Session type: Wayland
• Browser: Google Chrome
• Website tested: YouTube
• The fullscreen exit happens automatically and without keyboard or mouse input.
• The same video remains fullscreen when using a clean temporary Chrome profile under X11/XWayland.

[Milton-Ventura]

Same problem here, ty for reporting.

[Sisyphus1813]

Same problem.

[Kamrul-Haque]

Having same issue

[Dharengo]

Glad someone raised a comprehensive issue. Can confirm it's happening to me too.

[diego-unipi]

Now that I notice it, the same issue applies also to other online players on Chrome, besides on YouTube when I open a video the subtitles are always turned on. Tomorrow I'll a couple of checks to see if the second thing is related to this (I am almost sure that the first thing is related to this one).

[Dharengo]

It happens with full screen in general. Even just pressing F11.

[Aaronschristo]

i am also having the same issue thanks for reporting.

[dottgonzo]

same problem on ubuntu 26 with cosmic DE (after last updates)

[Kamrul-Haque]

Guys, turning off hardware acceleration in brave settings fixed my issue. Can't be sure for chrome but you can give it a try.

[Dharengo]

Oh no, I can confirm that the issue doesn't occur if I turn off hardware acceleration. But that's not really a fix.

[Kamrul-Haque]

Oh no, I can confirm that the issue doesn't occur if I turn off hardware acceleration. But that's not really a fix.

@Dharengo yes, I know but it's how I am managing until a fix is released.

[diego-unipi]

LOL, deactivating garphics aceleration worked on Chrome (Version 151.0.7922.108 (Official Build) (x86_64)) too.

[Milli189]

same problem here on Fedora COSMIC

[jiri-richter]

I know this also isn't a fix, but just disabling the full-screen reminder bubble in Brave fixed it for me.