WhatsApp is rolling out a new update to its Android beta users with version number 2.18.301 as reported by WABetaInfo. This update with Picture-in-Picture mode was being tested back in August before it came to beta. WhatsApp has already rolled out the update for iOS users back in November 2017.
WhatsApp Picture-in-Picture mode
The Picture-in-Picture mode enables you to play videos right within WhatsApp. So, from now on whenever you receive a link to YouTube, Facebook or Instagram videos in WhatsApp, you can play the videos within the app without leaving the conversation. You need to tap the play icon and the video will play in Picture in Picture mode. You can continue to navigate in the chat while it is playing in the background. However, when you open another chat, the PiP mode will disappear. It doesn’t happen on iOS though. So, we expect for Android an update will probably fix this issue. If you are already using WhatsApp beta for Android, you can update it to the latest version and if you are not on beta then you can sign up for the beta to try the PiP mode. Recently, WhatsApp Android beta also got dark mode and Swipe to Reply features. This feature allows you to quickly reply to a message using a swipe gesture.
