One of the features that WhatsApp was lacking compared to other messenger apps is inline YouTube playback. This is something that apps such as Viber already offers its users, but the good news is that if you use WhatsApp frequently to chat with friends and to watch videos from YouTube, inline playback is now available.
For those unfamiliar with the feature, basically inline YouTube playback allows users to watch YouTube videos within the chat itself. This is versus users having to click the YouTube link, which then either opens the YouTube app (if installed) or browser, thus taking you away from the conversation at hand.
The update also introduces picture-in-picture support, which means that if you are watching a YouTube video in a chat but want to switch chats, not to worry as the video will follow you to other chats as well. There is also the inclusion of the ability to record long Voice Messages without tapping and holding the microphone button, a feature that we heard about earlier this month.
It seems that for now, these features are only available on iOS. Presumably it will eventually find its way onto Android, but no word on when that will be happening, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more information regarding its release.