WhatsApp has had picture-in-picture mode since 2018. PiP mode is convenient; when somebody sends you a video link from YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, it lets you play the video in a small floating window right within the chat, so you don't have to leave the conversation. While the feature has mostly remained unchanged over the years, WhatsApp is finally giving it a facelift in the latest update.

According to WABetainfo, WhatsApp is testing a new redesign for the picture-in-picture mode that adds a new control bar to the video player. The control bar appears at the bottom of the video and features controls like the pause/resume button, full-screen button, and close button. Previously these controls appeared on the video feed itself and kind of got in the way of the viewing experience. But with the dedicated control bar, you now get an unobstructed view of the video feed.

You can check out the new picture-in-picture mode design in the screenshot attached below:

A video being played in picture-in-picture mode in a WhatsApp chat

The picture-in-picture mode redesign is rolling out with the latest WhatsApp beta update. The redesign was available on my phone running WhatsApp beta version 2.21.22.3. It's not available on the stable version of WhatsApp. If you want to check it out, you'll need to be on the latest WhatsApp beta version. If you're not a beta tester, you can sign up for the program here. Alternatively, you can also grab the APK straight from APKMirror.

Besides the new picture-in-picture mode, WhatsApp is working on tons of other features such as allowing you to transcribe voice messages, helping you find local shops and cafes, letting you hide Last Seen status from specific contacts, and more. WhatsApp is also working on allowing you to transfer your chats from Android to iOS, but there's no official word yet on when it will be made available to users.