WhatsApp has released an update to its iPhone application that includes a picture-in-picture feature for video calls for all the users. This was introduced for iOS users in beta in December.
Support for iOS Picture in Picture (PiP)
WhatsApp has now made picture-in-picture support available for all iPhone users. The feature was first announced in December of last year and made available to WhatsApp Beta users. The latest release notes for version 23.3.77 of the app confirm that picture-in-picture support has been added.
This feature functions similarly to other apps, like Apple’s FaceTime, and will show a floating window with the video call when the app is minimized. Additionally, the update allows iPhone users to add captions when sending documents and supports long descriptions for groups and custom avatars.
Full changelog for iOS v23.3.77
- With support for iOS Picture in Picture (PiP), you can now multitask during a WhatsApp call without your video being paused.
- You can now add captions when sending documents
- Added support for longer group subjects and descriptions to make it easier to describe your groups
- You can now create personalized avatars and use them as stickers and profile photos. Go to Settings > Avatar to get started.
These features will be available to all users over the coming weeks.
WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.4.0.70 – send high-quality photos
According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is currently developing an update that will allow users to send high-quality photos. A screenshot of the update shows a new “HD” button within the drawing editor header, which opens a menu that lets users configure the quality of the photo.
Users will be able to select the “HD Quality” option to share an image with better quality, although the default option will always be “Standard quality” for any photo.
However, the report notes that the new configuration for this feature will limit the original quality of photos to 90%, meaning that light compression will still be applied to the image. The release date for this feature is currently unknown.
According to previous reports, WhatsApp is making progress on some new features, including an In-app banner for document sharing, calling shortcut and pinned messages.