WhatsApp Starts Rolling Out Picture-in-Picture Support for Video Calls on iPhone

[MacRumors]

WhatsApp Messenger is rolling out picture-in-picture support in its latest app update, allowing users to continue their video call in a small window while doing something else on their iPhone.

Up until now, if you needed to do something on your phone while on a WhatsApp video call, you had to swipe out of WhatsApp, which paused the video for the person you were speaking with.

Once the new support has rolled out to you, if you swipe out of a ‌video call it will automatically minimize into a picture-in-picture window that continues to be visible even while you access other apps, so you and the other person you're talking to can continue your conversation without the ‌iPhone‌ being otherwise unusable.

WhatsApp said in December that it was working on developing support for picture-in-picture to allow WhatsApp users to multitask and use other apps while remaining on a video call.

Introduced on iPhone with iOS 14, picture-in-picture works with apps that play video content, but when it comes to third-party apps, app developers have to implement support for the feature.

• How to Use Picture-in-Picture Mode on iPhone

The latest v23.3.77 update also brings a couple of other notable improvements, including the ability to add captions when sending documents, and added support for longer group subjects and descriptions. WhatsApp says these features will roll out over the coming weeks.

Article Link: WhatsApp Starts Rolling Out Picture-in-Picture Support for Video Calls on iPhone

 

[VampyricGentleman]

But it would be of more use on an iPad app… there said it before anyone else does 😂

 

[yegon]

But it would be of more use on an iPad app… there said it before anyone else does 😂

….and the “nobody uses it!” (US) versus “everyone uses it!” (Europe) debate…

 

[winxmac]

Are there no users giving feedback about features they want in a certain app or are they being bombarded with feature requests that they just pick one at a time or just add what they think will be useful to users? Or are they like Apple that waits first for someone to do something and then when it is their turn, they polish/make the feature near perfect?

 

[t0rqx]

Whatsapp needs to fix the bug that broke the auto daily backup in iOS. It never backs up since last year.

 

[StellarVixen]

Picture in picture! It’s…like magic.

(If you’re living in late 20th century, not today).

The stagnation in tech world is becoming more and more obvious

 

[CarAnalogy]

But it would be of more use on an iPad app… there said it before anyone else does 😂

It is a good point. I don’t use my iPad for much besides reading but I do reach for it when I want to use FaceTime.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Are there no users giving feedback about features they want in a certain app or are they being bombarded with feature requests that they just pick one at a time or just add what they think will be useful to users? Or are they like Apple that waits first for someone to do something and then when it is their turn, they polish/make the feature near perfect?

Considering it’s Facebook, they probably send all feedback to /dev/null and just do what they want.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

We also need WhatsApp for the Apple Watch too.

 

[ian87w]

I was surprised when mine did this. I thought to myself “when did this happen?” as it usually paused the video. Pretty cool. As WhatsApp is pretty much the DeFacto messaging platform here in Indonesia.

 

[VampyricGentleman]

We also need WhatApp for the Apple Watch too.

Absolutely I’d be able to leave my phone behind quite a lot more if I had WhatsApp on it

 

[ian87w]

Are there no users giving feedback about features they want in a certain app or are they being bombarded with feature requests that they just pick one at a time or just add what they think will be useful to users? Or are they like Apple that waits first for someone to do something and then when it is their turn, they polish/make the feature near perfect?

I used to hate WhatsApp and considered it an antiquated messaging app. But they kept improving and adding things that I actually love it. They introduced inter-platform chat transfer (Android to iOS and vice versa), encrypted backup, and now PiP. Really nice in making the app into an even more versatile communication tool.

And now if I install WhatsApp on my Android tablet, it actually gave me an option to sync it with WhatsApp on my phone. Amazing. Before, it would just require me to create a new account.

 

[VampyricGentleman]

It is a good point. I don’t use my iPad for much besides reading but I do reach for it when I want to use FaceTime.

I’d love it so I could type proper messages etc on there and use their conferencing on a screen where I can actually see people’s faces

 

[ian87w]

Picture in picture! It’s…like magic.

(If you’re living in late 20th century, not today).

The stagnation in tech world is becoming more and more obvious

More like the real talents are getting scarce. People with genuine curiosity (which drives innovation) are getting rarer and rarer.

 

[JapanApple]

….and the “nobody uses it!” (US) versus “everyone uses it!” (Europe) debate…

Business people use this in Europe. we have business with them we use it

 

[yegon]

Business people use this in Europe. we have business with them we use it

That’s my point.

I live in the UK and absolutely NO ONE I know uses iMessage, yet probably half or more of them have iPhones.

 

[d686546s]

That’s my point.

I live in the UK and absolutely NO ONE I know uses iMessage, yet probably half or more of them have iPhones.

Same experience for me in the UK and with family in continental Europe. Sometimes I'll initiate a conversation on iMessage and I'll get a reply on WhatsApp.

 

[JapanApple]

That’s my point.

I live in the UK and absolutely NO ONE I know uses iMessage, yet probably half or more of them have iPhones.

and I agree with the business part.

 

[daneoni]

Whatsapp needs to fix the bug that broke the auto daily backup in iOS. It never backs up since last year.

I thought it was just me. Good to know this is a bug.

They also need to hurry up and release support for Apple silicon

 

[ian87w]

Whatsapp needs to fix the bug that broke the auto daily backup in iOS. It never backs up since last year.

Never seems to be an issue on mine. Try forcing a manual backup and see if it then automatically backs up the next cycle. Also make sure your iCloud account is connected fine and have enough storage.

 

[klasma]

We also need WhatsApp for the Apple Watch too.

I’m sure the tried to say “WhatsApp Watch App” ten times in a row and then decided it’s just too hard.

 

[davidf18]

That’s my point.

I live in the UK and absolutely NO ONE I know uses iMessage, yet probably half or more of them have iPhones.

Why would someone want a green message instead of a blue message? Makes no sense whatsoever. Also, those that use iPhones often have Macs, and it is easy to use the Message App on the Mac.

I use Signal with Android or PC users, not Whatsapp, which seems to be for Facebook spying on users.
Why use Whatsapp when there is Signal (which also has a desktop Signal app)?

 

[yegon]

Why would someone want a green message instead of a blue message? Makes no sense whatsoever. Also, those that use iPhones often have Macs, and it is easy to use the Message App on the Mac.

I use Signal with Android or PC users, not Whatsapp, which seems to be for Facebook spying on users.
Why use Whatsapp when there is Signal (which also has a desktop Signal app)?

I would use Signal, but virtually no one amongst my contacts uses it so it’s a non starter.

Not used iMessage meaningfully for a long time, but unless iMessage has improved a lot, Whatsapp handles groups a lot better, and more importantly it has SEARCH! iMessage is useless in this regard. Good luck finding an old message, and you can’t even browse old images/videos.

 

[JustSomebody12]

….and the “nobody uses it!” (US) versus “everyone uses it!” (Europe) debate…

So useless Apple mentions it about Home keys along Messages and Mails…

 

[uczcret]

Whatsapp needs to fix the bug that broke the auto daily backup in iOS. It never backs up since last year.

Weekly auto backup isn’t working either. At least things have improved now- I couldn’t do a backup (manual or otherwise) throughout 16.2, it was beyond irritating.