WhatsApp brought the Picture-in-Picture mode in 2018, and made no changes or upgrade since then to the feature.
Now, it’s refreshing the UI of the Picture-in-Picture feature, where a new status bar is seen in the latest beta version. The bar is housing a play/pause button, expand and close options, which were previously overlayed on the video.
WhatsApp Picture-in-Picture Mode
Though WhatsApp is blamed for rolling needed features slowly, it made a commendable move by bringing the Picture-in-Picture mode to its clients in 2018. While it’s faster than expected and is helping users to view a video within the conversation, it’s not been updated ever since the launch.
But now, it’s seen getting a minor update that makes it slightly better. As per WaBetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta v2.21.22.3 is seen having a design retouch to Picture-in-Picture mode for WhatsApp. The new version is having a dedicated bar at the bottom of the video, that houses a play/pause button, full-screen button, and close button.
All these are previously overlayed on the video content, hiding a part of the video. As the new version can give a better view now, it’s still in the beta phase and will be rolled to a stable channel later.
Until then, we should wait and expect this upgrade to roll out, along with other expected features like voice transcribing, finding local shops, hiding last seen status from specific contacts, etc. WhatsApp recently supports transferring of chats from iOS to Android, and vice versa.
Also, instant messenger has recently announced encryption support for cloud storage backups, like Google Drive and Apple iCloud. Now, a refreshing Picture-in-Picture mode is just one of the many things WhatsApp is trying to keep users within the ecosystem, as many are shifting to better alternatives like Telegram and Signal.
