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Android O brings picture-in-picture support so you can watch YouTube while hailing a Lyft

Android O brings picture-in-picture support so you can watch YouTube while hailing a Lyft

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Illustration by James Bareham / The Verge

The Developer Preview for Android’s latest version, O, is coming today — and a neat new feature is one previously available on just Android TV: picture-in-picture support.

The update will allow users to continue watching a video on a corner of the screen while simultaneously using another app. For example, you can continue watching YouTube while also watching where your Lyft driver is on a map without swapping between the two. The feature is similar Samsung’s multi-window support, but Android O will let users set their own aspect ratios, and you’ll get custom interaction buttons like play / pause to directly support video display. “Other new windowing features include a new app overlay window for apps to use instead of system alert window, and multi-display support for launching an activity on a remote display,” Google says.

Picture-in-picture is just one of the handful of new features that come with Android O today. Compatible devices for the preview include the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL, and Pixel C.