WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Chats for Large Groups
WhatsApp is rolling out a new voice chats feature in groups that lets users start voice calls without disturbing everyone in the group.
Previously in WhatsApp group chats, the only option was to start a voice call, which rings every member in the group. If no-one joins, the call doesn't go ahead.
In contrast, voice chats can be initiated in a group without anyone joining, and users are prompted to join discreetly via a silent push notification. The feature is available for those WhatsApp groups with 33 to 128 members.
Group members not participating in the voice chat can see who is active in the call from the chat header and the Calls tab, and people can join or leave at any time. If the encrypted chat remains empty for 60 minutes, it automatically ends.
As noted by WABetaInfo, the feature is now appearing for users on iOS and Android who have installed the latest WhatsApp update from the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively.
Popular Stories
WhatsApp appears to be introducing a new visual indicator that shows when a contact is online, according to WaBetaInfo.
The feature adds a small green circle to a contact's profile photo when they're active in the app, and which disappears the moment they leave, all updated in real time. The indicator is now being tested for the WhatsApp iPhone app in TestFlight after it debuted on Android...
WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud storage option for chat backups on iPhone, providing users with an alternative to iCloud for the first time, according to app tinkerer WABetaInfo.
Code found in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 26.28.10.16), available through TestFlight, suggests that users will eventually be able to pick their preferred backup destination directly from the app's...
WhatsApp has started rolling out its new username feature, reports WABetaInfo. Some users who reserved their username have started receiving a notification that their username is active, and that they can now use it to send and receive messages to other users without revealing their phone number.
When someone creates a username, WhatsApp will notify people who already have an active chat with...
