WhatsApp will support YouTube in the app!

Today WhatsApp has released a new update on the AppStore, bringing the version number up to 2.17.40 (you can read the detailed changelog here.)
This update has a lot of hidden features (that are features not available yet to the public) and one of which is the possibility to view YouTube videos directly in WhatsApp ..

How many times did you receive a YouTube link on WhatsApp and you were annoyed that WhatsApp opened YouTube to view it?
Finally this won’t happen anymore: this new feature implemented in WhatsApp uses the Picture in Picture concept to view YouTube videos without opening it.

You can pinch on the Picture in Picture mode in order to expand it, or you can open the video in a new WhatsApp section to view it in full screen mode.
You can also momentarily hide the Picture in Picture mode without stopping the video to read better your messages, sliding it right as you can see in this video that shows how it works.

This feature is still under development, and actually it’s not possible yet to keep active the video if you change the chat: in that case the Picture in Picture mode will disappear, unfortunately.
In the same way, it’s not possible to use the Picture in Picture WhatsApp mode on your Springboard, seen that this feature is available since iOS 9 for iPad only: probably, if a new API will be available in next iOS versions that will allow to use the Picture in Picture mode on your Springboard also for iPhone, WhatsApp will surely support it.
Probably, the most important information is that this feature is actually compatible with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S+, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus only, due to the good screen size. This may change in future (seen that, as abovementioned, the feature is still under development, so in this case all can change), supporting also iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S, but don’t count on it so much.
This is not a feature that will be remotely enabled, at the moment (so also this may change in future), but it will be enabled with a new WhatsApp update on the AppStore when the feature will be ready.
There’s no news about this feature for Android and Windows Phone users.
If WhatsApp will add it also in Android and WP versions, you will see a post here and you will be notified on Twitter and our Telegram Channel, but be confident.
Continue to follow our next posts here to know if something will change about the Picture in Picture mode in WhatsApp and let us know on Twitter if you like this feature!