WhatsApp rolls out PiP feature for WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp

Aside from bringing in a few security patches and other small improvements, in its latest update, WhatsApp has introduced a new feature: Picture on Picture. For the uninitiated, Picture in Picture is a mode that allows you to keep the service (WhatsApp Web, in this case) alive in a small window even as you do other things on your computer.

Although the feature is not exactly new per se as it was technically introduced in the previous update, this time, the feature has been given shiny new claws. That is to say, while previously you could only use the Picture in Picture mode to watch shared videos, the new update gives you the additional ability to watch videos hosted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Streamable in the PiP mode.

When you send or receive a link of a video that is originally streamed in one of the aforementioned sites, WhatsApp will only show a preview of the video in the dialog box. Once you click on the link though, WhatsApp Web will automatically open the video in PiP mode and play the video. It is even possible to switch to a different chat as you watch the video.

Needless to say, this feature only works for the newest update. To enforce the latest update, however, you may have to first clear the browser’s cache and restart the browser. Also, when sending the link of a video, always give the app a few seconds to load the preview of the video before sending it: the preview is crucial for the PiP mode to function.

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