Afloat Is Gone, Helium Only Floats Web Pages: Always-on-Top on macOS in 2026
Search for “always on top macOS” and two veteran names surface quickly: Afloat and Helium. Both were good tools in their day. In 2026 they are in very different places. Here’s the honest picture, and the route that actually works.
Afloat: a classic from the SIMBL era
Afloat pioneered window pinning on the Mac — adding Keep Afloat, transparency controls, and click-through to the Window menu of ordinary apps. But look at how it worked: SIMBL injection, pushing code into the target app’s process at runtime. That was achievable under the old macOS security model. Today’s is a different world:
SIP (System Integrity Protection) blocks that class of injection;
Hardened Runtime restricts apps from modifying other apps;
Most surviving “how to install Afloat” tutorials ask you to disable system protections or install SIMBL patches — handing over your Mac’s security for a window-pinning feature is a terrible trade.
Verdict: Afloat is unmaintained and should not be used on modern macOS. The “it still works!” forum posts are living in a pre-Sequoia era.
Helium: a free floating browser, not a pinning tool
Helium takes an entirely different route: it’s a floating browser window (free and open source) that renders a web page above your other windows, with adjustable transparency. For YouTube, a web dashboard, or a docs page, it’s genuinely handy.
But it’s a browser, not a pinning utility, and the boundaries are sharp:
Web content only: local files, PDF readers, chat apps, terminals — none of it;
Minimal features: no tabs, no extensions, no DevTools;
Sporadically maintained, and it doesn’t cross fullscreen Spaces (a limitation shared by most of this category — always worth testing yourself).
Verdict: if the thing you want to float is a web page, Helium is free and enough. If it isn’t a web page, Helium can’t help.
The other common routes, each with an awkward edge
Route
Shape
Catch
Pro window managers (e.g. Rectangle Pro)
An “always on top” toggle
Floats a full-size window — still owns your field of view; you buy a whole window manager for the pin
Automation platforms (e.g. BetterTouchTool)
A configurable “float window” action
Powerful, complex; a whole platform for one small feature
Floating note tools
A floating note
The content is a copy you typed, not the live original window
The pattern: they all float either a big window or a transcription of the content — never the original window itself, miniaturized.
The 2026 recommendation: window-level PiP
PipNow is the fourth route: mirror any window into a floating mini window. What that changes:
Any window: not just web pages — terminals, chats, AI tools, PDF readers;
Mini, not full-size: shrinks to “status light” dimensions; your main task can stay fullscreen;
Hover to preview: it’s a live mirror of the original, not a copy — hover to expand, move away to dismiss;
Click to interact: pin the preview and click, type, and scroll right inside it;
No limit on how many mini windows exist;
Modern implementation: built on the system’s official capture and permission model (Screen Recording + Accessibility) — no injection, no disabling security features. Details in this article;
Fully local: pixels never leave your Mac.
A selection checklist
When evaluating any always-on-top or PiP tool, test these:
Does it accept any app’s window — try a chat window and a terminal first?
Is it still visible over a fullscreen app? (This is where tools differ most — verify it yourself rather than trusting marketing copy);
Does it require disabling SIP or installing injected components? If yes, walk away;
Does it support multiple floating windows?
Is the floating content a live mirror or a static copy?
Are the permission requests transparent, and is the data processed locally?