diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/MainVideoPlayer.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/MainVideoPlayer.java
index 0dea47e56..8daa544ae 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/MainVideoPlayer.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/MainVideoPlayer.java
@@ -208,10 +208,17 @@ public final class MainVideoPlayer extends AppCompatActivity
     protected void onStop() {
         if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "onStop() called");
         super.onStop();
-        playerImpl.destroy();
-
         PlayerHelper.setScreenBrightness(getApplicationContext(),
                 getWindow().getAttributes().screenBrightness);
+
+        isInMultiWindow = false;
+
+        if (playerImpl == null) return;
+        if (PlayerHelper.isMinimizeOnExitEnabled(this)) {
+            playerImpl.onFullScreenButtonClicked();
+        } else {
+            playerImpl.destroy();
+        }
     }
 
     /*//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
index dbe0e9f46..252a3f708 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/PlayerHelper.java
@@ -173,6 +173,10 @@ public class PlayerHelper {
         return isAutoQueueEnabled(context, false);
     }
 
+    public static boolean isMinimizeOnExitEnabled(@NonNull final Context context) {
+        return isMinimizeOnExitEnabled(context, false);
+    }
+
     @NonNull
     public static SeekParameters getSeekParameters(@NonNull final Context context) {
         return isUsingInexactSeek(context, false) ?
@@ -249,7 +253,6 @@ public class PlayerHelper {
      * System font scaling:
      * Very small - 0.25f, Small - 0.5f, Normal - 1.0f, Large - 1.5f, Very Large - 2.0f
      * */
-    @NonNull
     public static float getCaptionScale(@NonNull final Context context) {
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) return 1f;
 
@@ -322,4 +325,8 @@ public class PlayerHelper {
             return sp.getFloat(context.getString(R.string.screen_brightness_key), screenBrightness);
         }
     }
+
+    private static boolean isMinimizeOnExitEnabled(@NonNull final Context context, final boolean b) {
+        return getPreferences(context).getBoolean(context.getString(R.string.minimize_on_exit_key), b);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
index fc7cfd1b4..e21697a62 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/settings_keys.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     <string name="auto_queue_key" translatable="false">auto_queue_key</string>
     <string name="screen_brightness_key" translatable="false">screen_brightness_key</string>
     <string name="screen_brightness_timestamp_key" translatable="false">screen_brightness_timestamp_key</string>
+    <string name="minimize_on_exit_key" translatable="false">minimize_on_exit_key</string>
 
     <string name="default_resolution_key" translatable="false">default_resolution</string>
     <string name="default_resolution_value" translatable="false">360p</string>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 5ee80536f..747b80dcc 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@
     <string name="popup_remember_size_pos_summary">Remember last size and position of popup</string>
     <string name="use_inexact_seek_title">Use fast inexact seek</string>
     <string name="use_inexact_seek_summary">Inexact seek allows the player to seek to positions faster with reduced precision</string>
+    <string name="minimize_on_exit_title">Minimize on exit</string>
+    <string name="minimize_on_exit_summary">Experimental. Switch to play on popup player when exiting main video player</string>
     <string name="download_thumbnail_title">Load thumbnails</string>
     <string name="download_thumbnail_summary">Disable to stop all thumbnails from loading and save on data and memory usage. Changing this will clear both in-memory and on-disk image cache.</string>
     <string name="thumbnail_cache_wipe_complete_notice">Image cache wiped</string>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
index 6ec0da215..440bce0f2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/video_audio_settings.xml
@@ -113,5 +113,11 @@
             android:key="@string/use_inexact_seek_key"
             android:summary="@string/use_inexact_seek_summary"
             android:title="@string/use_inexact_seek_title"/>
+
+        <SwitchPreference
+            android:defaultValue="false"
+            android:key="@string/minimize_on_exit_key"
+            android:title="@string/minimize_on_exit_title"
+            android:summary="@string/minimize_on_exit_summary"/>
     </PreferenceCategory>
 </PreferenceScreen>