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WhatsApp for iPhone Gets Instagram, Facebook Video Integration With PiP Feature

WhatsApp for iPhone Gets Instagram, Facebook Video Integration With PiP Feature

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 7 May 2018 13:16 IST

Highlights

WhatsApp for iPhone has been updated to version 2.18.51
Instagram and Facebook video links will now open in PiP mode
YouTube integration was rolled out earlier this year

After Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg detailed all the new features coming to WhatsApp in the F8 keynote address last week, the social chatting app has now released an update for iOS users. WhatsApp iOS update 2.18.51 apparently brings the ability to watch Instagram and Facebook videos in-app. This means that now, along with YouTube videos, iPhone users can view Instagram and Facebook videos right within their WhatsApp chat as well.

Earlier, when users clicked on an Instagram or Facebook video link, it would open in their respective apps installed on smartphones. In its latest update, WhatsApp has mentioned in its changelog that in-app video playback will work for Instagram and Facebook. However, it isn't working at the moment. But the update suggests the feature should not be too far away, and may be enabled in the next few weeks.

The changelog also says that the feature supports PiP (picure in picture mode) which means that you can still navigate through WhatsApp, chat with different people, and the video will continue to play in a video bubble on top of the app. You can move the video bubble all through the screen as well, and it comes with play/pause, close, and fullscreen buttons, just the same as YouTube's PiP video bubble. The YouTube video playback integration was introduced in January this year for all iPhone users.

Apart from this, the changelog for the iOS update also mentions that group admins will get the option to revoke the admin rights of others in a group they manage with the 'Dismiss as Admin' feature. They will also be able to choose which members can change the group's subject, icon and description. Both features had been available on Android previously, and have hit iPhones now.

At the F8 event, Zuckerberg announced that group video calling will be introduced soon, where up to four people can join the call at once and see each other in split-screen mode. The app will also get support for third-party stickers created by developers. Zuckerberg also used the opportunity to reveal that WhatsApp's Status feature is being used by over 450 million people worldwide. WhatsApp for Business, the recently introduced service targeting business, already has 3 million users worldwide, the Facebook CEO said.

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