尽管Android 操作系统(operating system)(OS) 的拥护者在过去几年中一直在宣传画中画 ( PiP ) 是一项令人兴奋的新功能，但这一想法和应用程序本身于 1976 年首次在电视上推出。
事实上，在 20世纪末和 21世纪初，画中画(PiP)被宣传为那个时代高端电视机上的一项高级功能。
然而，该技术存在重大缺陷，其中包括大量带宽要求，而且在当时，如果不复制硬件、电缆和其他一切所需的东西，就无法将第二个数据流(data stream)推送到同一显示设备(display device)。传递初始内容。
换句话说，您的电视机需要两个接收器、两个有线机顶盒等，才能实现与我们今天所做的基本相同的无线效果，从一个数据流(data stream)推送到我们随身携带的高分辨率设备我们的口袋。
今天的画中画——一个内容(PiP—one content) 流(stream playing)在一个小盒子或窗口内播放，在一个更大的窗口内播放不同的数据——无论如何，在概念上与上世纪相同，但互联网和微技术(Internet and micro technology)已经将画中画(PiP)变成了某种东西，不仅更多太棒了，但也有一些实际的东西。
例如，借助 Android 的画中画技术(PiP technology)，您可以在 Google 地图上搜索位置时与朋友讨论晚餐(discuss dinner)计划，或者在回复电子邮件时观看YouTube 视频。(YouTube video)您只需要一部运行Android 8.0或更高版本的智能手机或平板电脑。(smartphone or tablet)
可用性和兼容性(Availability and
Compatibility)
尽管画中画(PiP)很酷，但它最大的缺点可能是到目前为止支持它的应用程序并不多。正如您在我手机上应用程序控制(Apps control)面板（设置(Settings)）的画中画小节中看到的，如下图所示，大多数兼容的应用程序都是Android附带的应用程序，例如Chrome、地图(Maps)和YouTube。
好消息是，包括Netflix、Amazon Prime Video和YouTube在内的主要视频播放器都兼容画中画，未来还会有更多。
起初，谷歌(Google)试图排除YouTube用户，除非他们是Premium（或YouTube Red）订阅者，而且Netflix 和 Prime Video(Netflix and Prime Video)不兼容 PiP。
然而，一切都变了，我们逐渐看到更多的应用程序，例如VLC（流行的开源视频平台(video platform)）、WhatsApp（视频聊天）、Facebook、Instagram、Google Duo和Pocket Casts（视频播客）部署PiP功能(PiP functionality)。
其中一些，比如WhatsApp 视频(WhatsApp video)聊天应用程序，允许您在手机上执行各种其他任务的同时进行视频会议，非常方便。
打开画中画(Turning on PiP)
在最新版本的Android中，画中画已经开启；您所要做的就是确保为您要使用该功能的特定应用程序打开它。
不过，最有可能的是，这也已经解决了，但让我们确定一下。（以下说明可能会有所不同，具体取决于智能手机的制造商和您使用的操作版本。）
- 转到设置。( Settings.)
- 选择应用程序和通知(Apps
& Notifications)，或者如果您使用的是三星(Samsung)或其他设备，在单独的小节中有“应用程序”和“通知”，请选择应用程序( Apps)。
- 从更多垂直菜单（右上角的三个垂直点）中，选择特殊访问( Special
Access)。
- 在特殊访问列表中，选择画中画(Picture-in-picture)。
这将显示与
PiP兼容的应用程序列表。根据您的手机和操作系统版本(phone and OS version)，列表中每个应用程序名称和图标下方都有一些指示（很可能是“允许(Allowed)”或“是”）是否启用了画中画。(PiP)例如，我的Samsung Galaxy显示“(Samsung Galaxy)允许(Allowed)”为 On 和“不允许”为Off。
当然，如果所需应用程序的画中画(PiP)未打开，请点击列表中的应用程序名称(app name)，然后移动滑块将其打开。
使用画中画(Using Picture-in-Picture)
PiP 实例(PiP instance)由一个小的浮动无边框框(borderless box)（没有滚动条和其他控件）组成，它只显示内容（直到您点击它，也就是说，我们稍后会谈到）。控件被隐藏以节省空间。
将标准应用程序窗口(app window)
转换为画中画窗口(PiP window)很简单。在应用程序以全屏模式运行时，点按
主页按钮(Home button)。该应用程序应变为一个小框，类似于以下屏幕截图右下角的那个。
从这里，您可以将画中画窗口拖到屏幕上的任何位置。当您点击它时，画中画窗口(PiP window)会显示
Full-Screen、Close，并且根据应用程序的不同，还会显示一些其他控件。例如，在下图中，会
显示(image below)设置(Settings)、全屏(Full-Screen)、关闭(Close)和视频导航(video navigation)
控件。
当您旋转手机时，画中画窗口会跟随...
需要注意的是，一个应用程序是否会以画中画模式(PiP mode)显示通常取决于它在做什么，或者应用程序本身处于什么模式。Netflix、YouTube、Amazon Prime Video、其他视频播放器，甚至是Chrome，实际上都必须在播放视频。 ; 例如，有些不会在空闲或暂停时进行画中画。(PiP)
Chrome不能画中画，除非你先进入全屏模式；谷歌地图会在(Google Maps)导航模式下(Navigation mode)全屏画中画，但在其他一些场景下不会画中画，以此类推。
此外，在显示暂停的视频时画中画不会开始，但另一方面，您可以在PiP中暂停并（在某些应用程序中）以其他方式导航(PiP)视频时间线(video timeline)，而无需返回完整的应用程序再次。
最后，您可以通过返回前面提到的设置的特殊访问小节来禁用任何应用程序的(Access subsection)画中画。(PiP)以防(Just)万一，这里再次提供这些说明：
- 转到设置。( Settings.)
- 选择应用程序和通知(Apps
& Notifications)，或者如果您使用的是三星(Samsung)或其他设备，
应用程序和通知(Apps and Notifications)位于单独的小节中，请选择应用程序( Apps)。
- 从更多垂直菜单（右上角的三个垂直点）中，选择特殊访问( Special Access)。
- 在特殊访问列表中(Access list)，选择画中画。
返回此列表的另一个原因是，它是查找移动设备上安装的哪些应用程序与画中画兼容或何时升级的最简单的地方。
Increase Convenience and Productivity with Android’s Picture-in-Picture Mode
While Android operating syѕtem (OS) advocates have, for the past couple years now, been touting picture-in-picture (PiP) as a new and exciting feature, the idea and the application itself was first introduced on televisions bаck in 1976.
In fact, during the end of the 20th century and into the early 21st century, PiP was promoted as a premium feature available on the higher-end TV sets of that era.
There were significant drawbacks to the technology, though, among them being substantial bandwidth requirements, and, at the time, there was no way to push a second data stream to the same display device without duplicating the hardware, cabling, and everything else required to deliver the initial content.
In other words, your TV set required two receivers, two cable set-top boxes, and so on, to achieve essentially the same effect that we do today, wirelessly, from one data stream pushed to high-resolution devices that we carry around in our pockets.
Today’s PiP—one content stream playing inside a small box, or window, inside a larger window playing different data—is, in concept anyway, the same as last century’s, but the Internet and micro technology has transformed PiP into something, not only more awesome, but also something actually practical.
With Android’s PiP technology you can, for example, do
things like discuss dinner plans with a friend while searching locations on Google
Maps, or, perhaps, watch a YouTube video while replying to your emails. All you
need is a smartphone or tablet running Android 8.0 or later.
Availability and
Compatibility
As cool as PiP is, perhaps its biggest drawback is that so far there just aren’t that many apps that support it. As you can see in the Picture-in-picture subsection of the Apps control panel (Settings) on my phone, shown in the image below, most of the compatible apps are those that come with Android, like Chrome, Maps, and YouTube.
The good news is that the predominant video players, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube are all PiP-compatible, with more on the way.
At first, Google tried to exclude YouTube users, unless they were Premium (or YouTube Red) subscribers, and Netflix and Prime Video were not PiP-compatible.
All that’s changed, though, and we’re gradually seeing more apps, such as VLC (a popular open-source video platform), WhatsApp (video chat), Facebook, Instagram, Google Duo, and Pocket Casts (video podcasts) deploy PiP functionality.
Some of these, like, say, the WhatsApp video chat app that allows you to video conference while performing all sorts of other tasks on your phone, are quite handy.
Turning on PiP
In the latest version of Android, picture-in-picture is already on; all you have to do is make sure that it’s turned on for the specific apps with which you want to use the feature.
Most likely, though, that’s already taking care of, too, but let’s make sure. (The following instructions may vary some depending on your smartphone’s manufacturer and which operating version you’re using.)
- Go to Settings.
- Choose Apps
& Notifications, or if you’re using a Samsung or another device with “Apps”
and “Notifications” in separate subsections, choose Apps.
- From the More Vert menu (the three vertical dots in the
upper-right corner), choose Special
Access.
- In the Special Access list, choose Picture-in-picture.
This displays a list of
PiP-compatible apps. Depending on your phone and OS version, beneath each app
name and icon in the list there is some indication (most likely “Allowed,” or
“Yes”) as to whether PiP is enabled. My Samsung Galaxy, for instance, displays
“Allowed” for On and “Not allowed” for Off.
If, of course, PiP is not turned
on for the desired app(s), tap the app name in the list and then move the
slider to turn it on.
Using Picture-in-Picture
A PiP instance consists of a small
floating, borderless box (devoid of scrollbars and other controls) that
displays only content (until you tap it, that is, which we’ll get to in a
moment). The controls are hidden to save space.
Converting a standard app window
to a PiP window is simple. With the app running in full-screen mode, tap the
Home button. The app should change to a small box, something like the one in
the lower-right corner of the following screenshot.
From here, you can drag the PiP
window to any place on the screen. When you tap it, the PiP window displays
Full-Screen, Close, and depending on the app, a few other controls. In the
image below, for example, Settings, Full-Screen, Close, and video navigation
controls are displayed.
When you rotate the phone, the PiP
window follows…
It’s important to note that often, whether an app will display in PiP mode depends on what it’s doing, or what mode the app itself is in. Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, other video players, even Chrome, must actually be playing videos; some won’t, for example, do PiP while idle or paused.
Chrome can’t picture-in-picture unless you first enter full-screen mode; Google Maps will PiP in Navigation mode in full-screen, but not in some other scenarios, and so on.
Also, picture-in-picture won’t
start while displaying a paused video, but you can, on the other hand, pause
and (in some apps) otherwise navigate a video timeline while in PiP, without
returning to the full-blown app again.
Finally, you can disable PiP for
any app by returning to the Special Access subsection of Settings mentioned
earlier. Just in case, here are those instructions again:
- Go to Settings.
- Choose Apps
& Notifications, or if you’re using a Samsung or another device with
Apps and Notifications in separate subsections, choose Apps.
- From the More Vert menu (three vertical dots in the upper-right
corner), choose Special Access.
- In the Special Access list, choose Picture-in-picture.
Another reason for returning to
this list is that it’s the easiest place to find out which apps installed on
your mobile device are PiP-compatible, or when they’ve been upgraded.
