Zoom allows users to multi-task on the Apple iPad, which cannot be done with other video calling apps on the platform. The reason Zoom supports Split View multitasking mode is possible since Zoom has been granted access to a special iPadOS API. According to Jeremy Provost, app developer, Zoom has got special permission from Apple to use the iPad’s camera during Split View multitasking.
Jeremy in a blog post explained that compared to other apps, Zoom uses a special Application Programming Interface (API), allowing the app to continue using and accessing the iPad camera while the app is being used in Split View mode. Because of “entitlement,” Zoom is able to use multitasking-friendly programming interface that’s normally off-limits outside of FaceTime.
To execute a particular capability with an API is granted to developers through entitlement. This allows users to use different app during video conference, without this feature, if a user puts a video conferencing app into Split view mode, the video will turn off since the app cannot access the iPad camera when multitasking. This special grant given to Zoom is undocumented and is only applicable to those Apple considers “worthy,” says the post by Jeremy Provost.
Apple is yet to comment regarding this issue, although the question is why only Zoom has been granted access to this special API. Zoom was one of the most popular apps of 2020 and a major asset of the pandemic life, becoming the default video-calling app for many users. This can be one of the reason why Apple granted the app a special feature. Even so, other video calling apps ike Google Meet, Microsoft Teams don’t appear to have the same support on iPad.
