Enhance User Experience with Picture-in-Picture Mode in Your Mobile App
What is Picture-in-Picture Mode?
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode is a game-changer for mobile apps, allowing users to multitask seamlessly. This feature enables users to open multiple applications simultaneously, leveraging Android’s multi-window APIs. When a user presses the home button, the app doesn’t fully close; instead, it continues running in PiP mode, hovering on the screen while the user interacts with other applications.
Setting Up Your Android App for PiP Mode
To implement PiP mode, your app must be compatible with devices running Android 8.0 (API level 26) or higher. Update your app’s build.gradle file to set the minSdk version to 26. Next, identify the screens in your app that require PiP mode. You can enable PiP mode for specific screens by making changes to the AndroidManifest.xml file.
Implementing PiP Mode on Android
To trigger PiP mode, you’ll need to make changes to your MainActivity file. There are two scenarios to consider: when the user presses the Home button and when the user presses the Enter PiP Mode button in the app.
Customizing the PiP Window
Depending on your app’s requirements, you can adjust the aspect ratio of the PiP window. For example, if your app displays video content, you may want to set the aspect ratio to 16:9 to ensure the important content occupies the entire width and height of the PiP window. You can modify the aspect ratio using the setAspectRatio() method.
Adjusting Window Size in PiP Mode
When in PiP mode, the window size is significantly smaller than a normal activity screen. To ensure a seamless user experience, only display crucial information in the app and hide unnecessary details. Restore the views when the user switches to normal full-screen activity.
Setting Custom Actions in Android’s PiP Mode
PiP mode allows users to interact with your app through custom actions. You can add a list of remote actions using RemoteAction, which defines the action’s properties. For example, you can add an information button in the PiP window that opens a web browser when clicked.
Best Practices for Implementing PiP Mode
To avoid multiple instances of the same activity running, set the launch mode of the PiP activities to singleTask in the AndroidManifest file. Ensure that the activity doesn’t lose any data when the configuration changes by adding the necessary code to the AndroidManifest file.
Final Thoughts
By implementing PiP mode in your mobile app, you can significantly enhance the user experience. Remember to use PiP mode judiciously, as it can become obtrusive if overused. Check out the final code for our app on GitHub and explore LogRocket’s Android monitoring solution to recreate issues instantly and prioritize bugs.