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Instagram is testing a new Picture-in-Picture feature for watching reels, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday. The feature allows users to watch reels in a small, floating window on their screen while browsing other apps to allow for multitasking. <\/p>\n
The feature was first spotted by app researcher Radu Oncescu<\/a>. Users who are part of the test will see a pop-up notifying them about the new feature and how to turn it on.<\/p>\n While Picture-in-Picture is great for multitasking, it also has the potential to increase retention for longer videos, especially in the era of shrinking attention spans<\/a>. For example, if someone comes across a long reel, they could have it playing in the background while doing other things like responding to a text or browsing X. <\/p>\n Apps like TikTok and YouTube have had support for Picture-in-Picture for quite some time.<\/p>\n The addition of a similar feature in Instagram could give creators a better chance of retaining audiences for their longer content. And for Instagram, this would mean more time spent in its app.<\/p>\n The launch of the test follows comments made a few months ago by Instagram head Adam Mosseri<\/a>, who suggested the feature could be coming soon. At the time, Mosseri said he would \u201ctalk to the team and see if we can figure something out\u201d in response to a question asking: \u201cWhen will IG offer PiP (picture in picture in picture) like TT and YT?\u201d<\/p>\n Instagram is testing the feature with a small group of users to start. As with any test feature, it\u2019s unclear when or if Instagram plans to roll it out more widely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n