One of the largest messaging application WhatsApp owns a huge database of around 1.2 billion users globally. To make its app more usable, the Facebook-owned company has progressively been adding features. Amongst the features that have been added recently WhatsApp now allows sharing of multiple pictures as an album, it also allows sharing files of all types.
One feature that WhatsApp has been lacking till date is the ability to play YouTube videos within the app itself.
I am sure you must have been equally frustrated by the fact that whenever, you receive a YouTube link on WhatsApp, WhatsApp opens YouTube to view it.
Well, it has been heard that WhatsApp is working on a new feature for iOS that will make watching YouTube videos a lot easier. WhatsApp will now let user watch the videos from within the messaging app itself.
Currently, whenever you receive a YouTube link on WhatsApp and you hit on the link, WhatsApp open the YouTube app and it takes over your entire screen.
The current functionality though is not bad but isn’t useful and ideal as you cannot watch the video and simultaneously view your messages. This make the users switch between apps whenever they want to perform both the tasks simultaneously.
Phones that have split-screen functionality provides the ease as users can view both the apps at once. However only a limited of phones provide this functionality.
A future WhatsApp update, however, will make things work a lot more pleasantly.
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According to a report in WABetaInfo, it’s a hidden feature in a part of WhatsApp update version 2.17.40. However, the update has not been released for public yet. Once this update is rolled out, WhatsApp users will be able to watch YouTube videos in Picture-in-Picture mode right inside their WhatsApp chats without opening YouTube.
With the new WhatsApp update users, will be able to drag any YouTube video around the window without stopping or dragging it. This will result in a better view of the messages. Also, users will be able to resize the window with a pinch and even view it full-screen if they wish to.
Also Read: WhatsApp Beta Now Supports Picture-in-Picture Video Calls in Android O
As reported by WABetaInfo, this feature may only be released for iPhone series i.e. iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The main reason behind this is that iPhone’s have larger screens which plays an important aspect for this feature to work well.
As of now there has been no news if the functionality will come to Android users too.
Also Read: WhatsApp is Testing a Feature That Lets You ‘revoke’ Unread Messages You Sent Prematurely
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