Technology

WhatsApp testing picture-in-picture mode for video calls on iPhone

WhatsApp is working on a new feature picture-in-picture mode for iOS that will let you open up other apps while on a video call. In a post on the WhatsApp blog, the company says the feature’s currently in beta testing but the company announced its plans of rolling it out for everyone in early 2023.

Here’s a rundown of some of the improvements WhatsApp made to calling this year.

  • 32-person calls: Improving the number of people one can voice or video call with. Now people can make calls with up to 32 participants.
  • Message or mute participants: People can now message or mute participants by long pressing on a participant. By long pressing on a particular participant, its video will enlarge and allow you to either mute or message them separately.
  • Call links: Now you can get a call link that can be sent to other people to join the ongoing call just like zoom.
  • Colorful waveforms: Now, you can easily see who is speaking if their camera is off.
  • In-call banner notifications: See when someone new joins a group call.

These features are launched for users already, and people are enjoying them for months now. While all these features are launched, one which is still to make its way to users is Picture-in-picture mode. This feature was spotted by beta testers who revealed that this feature is almost similar to FaceTime calls. The company has confirmed this feature and has revealed that it is going to be launched for iOS users first and then for Android ones. The company has not given any date to it but has revealed that this feature will make its way in early 2023.