If a new leak is to be believed, WhatsApp is bringing support for YouTube video playback directly in the user’s conversation window. This basically allows users to watch a video without having to leave the app. In its current form, opening a YouTube URL redirects users to the standalone YouTube app on their mobile devices.
This feature appears to be in testing right now, and the folks at WABetaInfo have managed to get their hands on a screenshot detailing how it works. Once the user taps on a video URL, a small window pops up on the top corner with the video playback. You can hide it or even enlarge it as you please. The video, however, will disappear when you go to another conversation.
This is one of the many features that WhatsApp periodically tests in its labs, and we hope to get more information on this over the coming days. WhatsApp is said to be testing the feature on iPhones as of now, although it goes without saying that Android users will be covered too.
WhatsApp has introduced several new features over the past couple of years, with the addition of voice and video calling being some of the highlights. The company also added end-to-end encryption to its apps much after rivals like Telegram did, and has been somewhat slow to catch up despite being one of the most popular IM applications in the world today.
[Via WABetaInfo]