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WhatsApp is now rolling out picture-in-picture videos to users
- WhatsApp has rolled out support for picture-in-picture video clips.
- The feature allows you to play a web video without leaving your current chat.
- Supported sources include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Streamable.
We saw the first hints of WhatsApp’s support for picture-in-picture (PiP) videos roughly two months ago, and it now looks like the Facebook-owned platform is finally starting the rollout.
You’ll need to update to the latest beta (2.18.301) in order to get the feature, according to WhatsApp-focused website WABetaInfo. The outlet adds that you might want to back up your WhatsApp data and reinstall the app if you still don’t see PiP video support.
We were able to access the feature just fine after updating to the latest beta on the Play Store, and it seems to be compatible with Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The function also works with the popular Streamable video-sharing platform. Unfortunately, tapping a Twitter video still launches the Twitter app rather than a PiP video.
The PiP option simply allows you to view web videos in a window, without leaving the WhatsApp chat. You can also drag and resize the video clip, allowing you to see the chat in the background. And yes, you can scroll through the background chat while watching a video.
The outlet says the PiP video is closed if you leave your current chat. Meanwhile, iOS users are apparently able to navigate through the rest of WhatsApp while the PiP video is playing. Hopefully the Facebook-owned platform is working on a solution for Android users.
In any event, it’s just the latest feature added to the service this year. We’ve also seen more comprehensive admin controls, group calls, and suspicious link detection land on the platform in 2018.
Have you received PiP video support yet? Let us know in the comments!