WhatsApp is introducing a new feature aimed at enhancing audio calls within group chats, allowing users to initiate an audio room that other members can seamlessly join.
Reports indicate that the Meta-owned app is widely rolling out the update, which simplifies group communication by enabling the initiation of group calls silently without causing disruptions to others. Users can access this feature after updating to the latest versions of WhatsApp for both iOS and Android. Currently, it’s specifically deployed for larger groups.
This new functionality makes it more convenient for users to engage in group chats, providing an alternative method to start voice calls by sending silent push notifications, thus avoiding disturbances to other members of the group.
Voice chats bring a fresh experience to WhatsApp calling, streamlining connections for later discussions. Users can join voice chats within their groups at any time and start speaking without triggering notifications for everyone in the group chat. If a voice chat remains inactive for 60 minutes, it will automatically end. However, users can initiate a new voice chat whenever they wish.
The key advantage of voice chats lies in the ability to make calls without ringing each member’s phone individually. Upon initiation, every group member receives a silent push notification. Members not participating in the ongoing voice chat can view the active participants in the call from the chat header and the Calls tab, with the flexibility to join or leave the call at any time.
It’s worth noting that voice chats benefit from end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the involved members can access the call’s content.
WhatsApp is one of the apps that gets new updates and features regularly. Recently, a new feature to initiate group calls with up to 31 participants was rolled out. A long-awaited feature was also introduced: multiple accounts on a single device.
