One of the biggest new features in Android O is a picture - in - picture mode that lets you watch
videos in a floating window while you're using other apps.
Being able to minimize a compatible app to a floating bubble, only to pop it back
up in a floating window is a thing of beauty.
I like the idea of Lenovo's MultiWindow feature, which lets you launch up to three
apps in floating windows on top of open programs.
Apps can be
placed in a floating window, being able to move around the screen like a desktop windowed app can be, or minimized into an icon for easy access later.
A picture - in - picture mode that's currently restricted to Android TV devices running Nougat will be brought to more devices via Android O, letting users watch videos
in floating windows while working on other apps.
Tilting the phone also lets you see more layers of information, like Yelp
results in floating windows that would clutter up the display if they were visible all the time.
With it, users can play back
videos in a floating window that can be overlaid anywhere on the screen, providing a «picture in picture» experience.
Almost every app can be used in multi-window mode, and these apps can even be dragged down from the corner and
placed in a floating window, a la a desktop program on a computer.
Vivo has also thrown in a Picture in Picture mode for gaming, which lets you run messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Line, and Facebook Messenger - among others -
in a floating window.
One of the things I like to do is open the Samsung Gallery App
in a floating window and use it for a photo reference window when drawing and painting.
Yes, it's nice that you can run up to three apps on the screen and one
in a floating window — or two in split - screen mode — but MultiWindow works with only six apps.
Bubble - style notifications inspired by Facebook chat heads pop up near the top of the screen, and you simply tap on them to bring up the app
in a floating window.
Even if a particular app is not compatible with this, you can at least use
them in a floating window.
If you want to SSH into your Linux server or use Android's terminal (particularly useful on rooted devices), AirTerm will allow you to do
it in a floating window.
Other than that, the new ZenUI 4.0 will also have the Android O's picture - in - picture mode, with which users can watch videos
in floating window.
Like Samsung, it takes advantage of the large screen so you can use two apps side - by - side or open them up
in a floating window, which can actually come in handy when copying text between apps or need to use a calculator.