WhatsApp to Introduce Voice Chat Feature for Less Disruptive Group Calls
A new voice chat feature on WhatsApp has started to roll out, providing users with an enhanced group call experience.
Group calls now ring members’ handsets, which may not be the best situation, particularly if some players are participating from various time zones. Rather, audio chats will be less obtrusive and, similar to group call features found in applications like Slack and Discord, allow group members engaged in a conversation to work on other activities on the messaging app at the same time.
WhatsApp announced on Monday that voice chats would be coming to Android users via X, formerly known as Twitter. Some users who have updated to the most recent versions of WhatsApp for iOS and Android from the App Store and Google Play store, respectively, are able to access the feature. Members will see the option to start a voice chat instead of the group call button if voice chats are enabled for their group.
Group chat participants will receive a push notification alerting them when a voice conversation is initiated by tapping the new waveform icon located in the upper right corner of the screen. Participants’ profiles will be visible to all members of the group, including those who are not participating in the voice chat. You can also perform other tasks on WhatsApp like text other group members who aren’t part of the call.
The audio chat can now be quit and rejoined several times by users, and it will terminate after all participants have departed. In addition, the voice conversation will terminate after an hour if no one joins or if there is just one participant.
According to WhatsApp’s announcement, larger groups consisting of more than 32 members would be the first to receive the audio chat capability. As per the frequently asked questions on the messaging platform, users in groups consisting of 33 to 128 members would be able to access this feature. Only the user’s primary device will be able to access it; connected devices are not supported.
