Google is known for frequently abandoning projects, both large and small. There is also a regard website. And now it looks like the handy Google Messages feature is joining the mix.
Specifically, it’s a picture-in-picture feature, or PiP. The concept was introduced in 2022 and was pretty simple: allowing users to watch YouTube videos in the Messages app. It was similar to how YouTube works on WhatsApp, where the app displays a thumbnail and plays the video in a pop-up player. This eliminates the need to open the YouTube app every time someone sends you a clip.
A recent teardown of the latest beta version of the Google News APK revealed that any code that enabled this feature had been removed. Of course, this doesn’t mean it’s confirmed that this feature will be gone, but it’s very likely. Of course, the reason for the feature’s removal is unknown, but it’s directly suggested that it be moved to YouTube Premium, which Google will likely push.