In the early 21st century, premium features on high-end TV sets became available as PiP. This was promoted as a way to improve image quality and make watching TV more enjoyable.
The technology had some major drawbacks, including significant bandwidth requirements and no way to push a second data stream to the same display device without duplicating the hardware, cabling, and everything else required.
Wireless streaming is becoming more and more popular, as it allows users to watch their favorite shows without having to use cables. However, this technology still requires a few extra pieces of equipment. ..
Today’s PiP—one content stream playing inside a small box, or window, inside a larger window playing different data—is, in concept anyway, the same as last century’s, but the Internet and micro technology has transformed PiP into something more awesome and practical. ..
Android 8.0 or later allows you to use PiP technology to do things like discuss dinner plans with a friend while searching locations on Google Maps, or, perhaps, watch a YouTube video while replying to your emails. All you need is a smartphone or tablet running Android 8.0 or later.
Availability and
Compatibility
The Picture-in-picture feature of the Android OS is great, but so far there aren’t many apps that support it. Most of the compatible apps are those that come with Android, like Chrome, Maps, and YouTube. ..
Netflix and Prime Video were not PiP-compatible, so Google began excluding YouTube users.
All of the apps mentioned above have PiP capabilities, which means they can send and receive video messages over a secure connection without the need for a phone or computer. This is great for when you want to keep your communication private, or if you want to watch a video but don’t want to be disturbed.
But there are also some apps that are just plain weird. For example, the WhatsApp video chat app, which allows you to video conference while performing all sorts of other tasks on your phone, is quite handy. But there are also some apps that are just plain weird. For example, the WhatsApp video chat app, which allows you to video conference while performing all sorts of other tasks on your phone, is quite handy but it can be a bit strange because it doesn’t allow you to use the microphone to talk.
Turning on PiP
Android 8.0 Oreo already has a feature called Picture-in-Picture (PIP), which lets you watch two separate videos or apps at the same time. To use PIP, you just have to make sure it’s turned on for the specific apps with which you want to use it. ..
Most likely, your smartphone is already taking care of this for you. However, just to be sure, here are some instructions specific to your device’s manufacturer and operating version. ..
This displays a list of PiP-compatible apps. Depending on your phone and OS version, beneath each app name and icon in the list there is some indication (most likely “Allowed,” or “Yes”) as to whether PiP is enabled. My Samsung Galaxy, for instance, displays “Allowed” for On and “Not allowed” for Off.
If you want to use an app that isn’t in the PiP list, you can tap on the app’s name and then slide the PiP slider to turn it on. ..
Using Picture-in-Picture
A PiP instance consists of a small floating, borderless box that displays only content (until you tap it, that is, which we’ll get to in a moment). The controls are hidden to save space.
Now, drag the bottom left corner of the PiP window to the top right corner of the standard app window. This will create a PiP window that is just large enough to contain your app. To close the PiP window, tap its top left corner.
To use the PiP window, drag it to any location on the screen. When you tap it, the PiP window displays Full-Screen, Close, and depending on the app, a few other controls. In the image below, for example, Settings, Full-Screen, Close, and video navigation controls are displayed.
When you rotate the phone, the PiP window follows the orientation of your device.
Chrome can’t do Picture-in-Picture unless you first enter full-screen mode; Google Maps will PiP in Navigation mode in full-screen, but not in some other scenarios, and so on. ..
You can pause and otherwise navigate a video timeline while in Picture-in-Picture mode, without returning to the full-blown app again. ..
Disable PiP for any app by returning to the Special Access subsection of Settings mentioned earlier. Just in case, here are those instructions again:
If you want to watch a video on your phone or tablet while doing something else, like working on a project, using PiP can be helpful. PiP lets you watch videos without having to leave the app you’re in. ..
