Developers, Is it possible to make an Ipad app for a floating Browser without Jailbraking your Ipad?

[Andy847]

Hi, I'm a new owner of an Ipad Pro and love the device, except for one flaw. Not every app is available in side by side. Coming from Android Note Tablets, I had the use of floating windows and a Floating Browser to use over certain apps for Drawing.

I play the game Draw something a lot and would love to have a floating browser that I can open up and use while drawing in the game, as reference to images from the internet I use to draw from. Something I can resize and move around the screen when I draw. This is something quite easy to find in Android, but unless jailbroken, I can't find anything like that for the Ipad Pro. I don't want to try and Jailbreak my Expensive new tablet, so was wondering if there's a reason why nothing available like that yet for Ipads. I'm thinking it's a restriction of some sort by Apple, which wouldn't surprise me.

Also, if anyone knows of some Workaround, I'd be interested in that too. Thanks.

 

[scifan57]

Whether or not an app will work in Slide Over or Split View is entirely up to the developer. Jail breaking would be of no help in this. As time goes on, more and more apps are becoming compatible with Slide Over and Split View.

Currently there is no way to have an app open up in a re-sizable window that can be moved around the screen, at least on a stock iPad.

 

[Mickey330]

One thing you could look at is the app ArtRage ($4.99). One of its features is the ability to put a floating picture onto your canvas. This picture can be moved around, zoomed, tilted, etc. you can get the image from your Photos app, iCloud, Dropbox or take a "live" photo.

No, it's not as handy as being able to browse the Internet, but maybe it'll do?

Marilyn

 

[Andy847]

Hi, Marilyn. Thanks, but the reason looking for an Internet browser, was specifically for the draw something game. In procreate and other drawing apps, I can do what you said or use the slide over. Draw something I can't use that option, because the app isn't supported for that yet or may not be in the future.
Scifan57, the reason I say jailbreak the iPad, is because there is an App called browsix for iPad, but you have to jailbreak the iPad. I actually rather not do that with this expensive device. The app I mentioned though is a floating browser.

 

[twerppoet]

Well, there is one thing that would kind of work, but it will be a pain to set up and use, and none of the video apps I have work.

iOS's picture in picture feature places a floating, positionable, resizable video window over any app. It is easy enough to convert a picture to a movie using iMovie or Adobe Premier Clip, but I have not found a video player app with the picture-in-picture feature enabled.

Also, not having tested it, I don't know if a paused video will eventually time out.

It is a hokey workaround, but if you are desparate enough it might be worth researching.

 

[Andy847]

Actually twerppoet, I did see that about the PiP mode, but it's video as you said. So was kind of thinking of what you mentioned, but wasn't sure I could do it with an image. I actually like that idea, if I can get it to work. Problem is, and I know this is how Ipad and Apple work, I can't get any videos to show in the Videos app on my Ipad Pro.

I took and image and made it into a movie, then downloaded free movie converter app and converted it to Mp4. I believe that's an okay format for IPP. It shows in my Photos app and I can play the video, but no icon in the bottom corner to put it in Picture in Picture mode. May need to find out how to find things when I save them or if I'm sharing with the correct app. Not familiar with IOS.

 

[twerppoet]

. . . I took and image and made it into a movie, then downloaded free movie converter app and converted it to Mp4. I believe that's an okay format for IPP. It shows in my Photos app and I can play the video, but no icon in the bottom corner to put it in Picture in Picture mode. May need to find out how to find things when I save them or if I'm sharing with the correct app. Not familiar with IOS.

Yes, that is the key. So far the only apps I've found that support PiP are a few steraming content apps like Hulu, and the Vidoes app (iTunes content only). The two other vidoe apps I've tried (VLC and OPlayer) don't support PiP, or they would be ideal.

Like the side view feature, this is something that will probably be added to more apps in the future. Unlike the Draw Someting app, video apps have more incentive update; it being a more mainstream feature for video viewing than multitasking would be for a game (even a drawing game).

 

[Andy847]

I'm going to send you a pm, because I have videos showing in itunes, but all the directions I see online point to things such as icons, which I don't seem to have or can't find on my Mac in itunes and on my Ipad. Like with the Home sharing for example.