Table of Contents
Highlights
- WhatsApp Web is getting group voice and video calling support for group chats.
- Calls can be started directly from the group chat toolbar in the browser.
- The update brings WhatsApp Web closer to mobile app feature parity.
- Rollout is limited and gradual, with wider availability coming later.
An important update is coming to WhatsApp Web, which is a step further in the direction of feature parity, as users will be able to make calls of both kinds in group chats on WhatsApp Web. This much-expected update is part of the general movement of WhatsApp to bring the web experience on par with the mobile one by integrating the communication tools for desktop and browser users. This is so because the ongoing testing and feature rollouts seem to indicate a steady flow of WhatsApp towards the complete setup, which could have a large-scale impact on the way people use laptops and desktops for communication via the platform.
Closing the Feature Gap Between Mobile and Web
The apps of WhatsApp for Android and iOS have been providing group calls along with regular and video calls for a considerable time already. On the other hand, the web version of WhatsApp does not have as many features when it comes to real-time communication. For a considerable period, the only thing that could be done via WhatsApp Web was the sending of messages, photos, videos, and voice notes. The platform still does not get an ability to conduct AR/VOIP-based calls.
However, that is changing. The feature tracker WABetaInfo, which constantly checks new items in WhatsApp, has revealed that WhatsApp Web is supporting group chats’ voice and video calling. This indicates that the users will soon be able to make calls with multiple persons directly from the browser without opening the mobile app or using third-party tools, having their phone line engaged. How Group Calling on WhatsApp Web Will Work.
Even though the feature is still being tested and hasn’t been made available to the entire user base, the very first screenshots and descriptions reveal that users will be able to see call icons, which are one representing voice calls and anotherrepresenting video calls, along with the group chat header or toolbar on WhatsApp Web.
By tapping on these icons, users can instantly initiate a call that will ring every participant who has the corresponding version of WhatsApp Web.
Web users attending the call will receive a calling UI that is just like the one in WhatsApp’s mobile version, enabling them to mute, disable video, or switch devices. The design is aimed at replicating the mobile usage as closely as possible, yet it is still very user-friendly for desktop and laptop users.
Currently, WhatsApp Web calling features have been available only in a few test builds with limited access, and it is very likely that WhatsApp is collecting user responses and fixing the performance issue before it goes out to a larger audience. However, the signs are quite strong for a public release in the near future — perhaps it will be part of the next few updates of the stable or beta versions of WhatsApp Web.
This Update Is Very Important
WhatsApp Web has, for most users, particularly students, professionals, and distributed teams, become the main communication center during work and study hours. Adding the new feature of group calling makes it unnecessary for users to switch to the mobile app or any other platform at the time of a group voice or video call. Thus, WhatsApp Web becomes a more practical all-in-one communication tool for both social and professional purposes.
On top of that, web calling and video could be a great productivity booster: callers can converse for hours with no need to keep moving back and forth to their phones, and the laptop’s layout makes it very easy to follow more than one participant at the same time. This is precisely WhatsApp’s larger plan of making the web app stronger and more independent. Similar Functions Already in Desktop Apps
It is important to mention that an app for WhatsApp’s dedicated desktop (for Windows and macOS) has been testing various calling capabilities in some versions that are not public yet. The first versions of the software that included group voice and video calls were the ones mentioned above, and the same seems to be the case with WhatsApp Web’s implementation.
By making it possible to use these features through a browser, WhatsApp is making sure that users who do not want to install the desktop application can still have access to the complete range of WhatsApp communications right through their web browser. This is a part of a larger trend where mobile-first applications are slowly but surely coming to desktop and web platforms in order to provide easy communication across devices.
Problems and Changes to be Expected
The use of voice and video calls over web browsers is going to raise a multitude of technical issues, such as browser compatibility, network performance, and the difference in hardware capability among the users’ devices. To ensure that the best possible experience will be provided in all different network environments, WhatsApp will probably use WebRTC and adaptive bitrate technologies to optimize these calls.
Moreover, security, as well as end-to-end encryption, which constitutes one of the pillars of WhatsApp’s promise, will probably still apply to these calls, as the company has continually stated its determination to protect the privacy of users across all platforms.
What is Coming Next
Though WhatsApp has not made an official announcement about a precise time of launch, the continuous flow of leaks and sightings of the test versions seems to indicate that group chats, voice, and video calls on WhatsApp Web will be included in a future company update. Those users who are keen to experiment with this feature are likely to see it first in beta or early releases but will have to wait until later in the quarter for a stable rollout.
This update will, when properly introduced, turn WhatsApp Web into a communication platform that is much more powerful now that it can finally perform the same key functions that users have been taking for granted on mobile for a long time.
