Four years have passed since Facebook brought Android the ability to use other applications while we are in a WhatsApp video call. Now Mark Zuckerberg’s company is starting to try to do the same on the iPhone. A fundamental change, yes, because otherwise during a call we could only stay in the WhatsApp application.
As is common on Facebook, the change begins in betas, as reported in WABetaInfo. And in fact, even all users registered in the beta version of the application cannot test this feature, but I hope in the next few weeks I will reach the stable version
Good news for multitasking
The ability to use other apps while video calling on WhatsApp came to Android in 2018. In 2020, the ability to continue reading while using other apps, what we call PiP, has officially arrived on the iPhone with iOS 14. I had been on iPad for about four years and was finally making the leap to mobile. At that time, however, Facebook had no plans to adapt the app.
Now yes. At a time when video calls are more important than ever, WhatsApp allows us — for now only in version 22.24.0.79, currently in beta — to swipe the app during a video call without interrupting it. All we have to do is exit the app as we normally would
Our colleague Iván Linares is testing the function for Xataka.
We can move the thumbnail to any of the four corners of our iPhone screen and also slightly change its size, which will allow us to adapt this floating window to the activity we are carrying out at the moment
Speaking of which, and with an eye to future WhatsApp updates, it’s worth noting that apps such as FaceTime or Zoom are already integrated with SharePlay, allowing share the screen or the reproduction of a content during a call or a video call.
Judging by Facebook’s pace in implementing improvements, although you should recognize a considerable acceleration in recent months, the arrival of SharePlay may take time. Although it is possible, WhatsApp might surprise us sooner rather than later. Do we want to be part of the betas? Although there are no places available at this time, we can keep an eye on TestFlight to enter the program as soon as there is availability. Meanwhile, yes, we can use our iPhone and its apps in a video call.
