The YouTube video service has announced a major update to the iOS app. A picture-in-picture mode will be added to it, which will allow you to continue watching the video by switching to other applications. Writes about this Macrumors.
A spokesperson for the service told The Verge that the company is currently rolling out the feature for paid YouTube subscribers, but in the future, it will become available to all iOS device owners.
Support for picture-in-picture mode appeared in iOS 14, but in test mode. The feature was unstable – for example, it worked for some iPad users when browsing through the Safari browser. iPhone owners could use the option only occasionally.
Android users, in turn, have been using this feature for many years. It is available on all operating systems starting from Android 8.0 (Oreo) with a paid subscription. During use, the video player window can be placed in any convenient part of the screen. Whether in the future the service will be made free for Android owners is not reported.
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) allows users to watch YouTube videos in a small mini player while simultaneously browsing outside of the YouTube app on their mobile device. We’re starting to roll out PiP for YouTube Premium members on iOS and plan to launch PiP for all US iOS users as well.
Gizchina News of the week
YouTube Allows Shorts Users To Use Any Audio From Its Platform To Create Short Videos
The YouTube video service announced the expansion of the capabilities of users of the Shorts short video service. The company allowed creators to use any music from its platform. Writes about this TechCrunch.
This is probably how the company aims to increase the competitiveness of Shorts with TikTok. How attractive this is to users is not yet clear; the developers do not disclose data on the number of viewers and content creators. Nevertheless, according to statistics; the service is gaining more than 6.5 billion daily views in the countries where it is available.
It should be noted that the platform has one of the largest sound libraries. It has 250 labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and others. The developers are currently working on improving the user interface. Whether YouTube plans to launch a separate app for Shorts is not specified.
The company is also expanding the availability of Shorts in countries in parallel. Originally launched by India and the US, it will now open in three new regions – the UK, Canada and Latin America. The service will become available in these locations until the end of June.
