As WhatsApp continues to grow in popularity, reaching 100 million U.S. users in July, its parent company Meta has been focused on adding new features to leverage the growing interest in its privacy-centric messaging platform.
But WhatsApp is more than just about direct messages. According to Meta, the app now hosts over 2 billion audio and video calls daily.
With this surge in connections, WhatsApp is introducing new improvements to its calling features, aiming to make it easier for people to stay in touch during the holiday season.
One of the key updates is the ability to select call participants when starting an audio call from a group chat.
As shown in this example, WhatsApp now allows you to easily select which participants you want to include in your audio or video call, instead of inviting everyone in the group chat.
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According to WhatsApp:
“Now, when you initiate a call from a group chat, you can choose specific participants, ensuring you call only those you want to, without disturbing others. This is perfect for planning surprise parties or gifts.”
However, be mindful that this feature could potentially leave others feeling excluded, so use it thoughtfully. It does offer various possibilities for more spontaneous connections.
In addition, WhatsApp has enhanced the quality of its video calls, offering higher resolution playback for both one-on-one and group chats.
The app is also introducing new video call effects, similar to Snapchat filters, including fun options like puppy ears.
Finally, WhatsApp’s also improving its desktop calling process, with more info on the “Calls” tab in the WhatsApp desktop app:
“You’ll easily find everything you need to start a call, create a call link, or dial a number directly.”
Some handy updates, and again, with more people using WhatsApp to connect, in more ways, these features will definitely see usage during the holidays and beyond
You can read more about WhatsApp’s latest calling updates here.