When WhatsApp group voice and video calling features have been around on mobile versions of the app for a long time now. With the advent of the pandemic, the Facebook-owned company has also increased the limit of engagement, making it a viable solution for informal video calls and the like. The company also added integration with Messenger Rooms – to extend to the desktop and web versions of the service.
However, audio and video calls were absent in these versions, making it a mobile-only feature. That may change soon as the features are said to be rolling out to a small group of users in beta form. Presumably, the feature has been in testing for about two years now, and is finally available for web and desktop versions – albeit in a staggered manner for user selection. As with these versions, a telephone session must be initiated.
Users who receive the feature will also notice phone and video icons appearing in the chat header, just as they do on the mobile versions. They will then be able to initiate a call directly from the chat on the desktop or browser. The feature will also allow users to accept incoming calls via apps. A separate window appears during the active call for actions during a call or video feed. It’s not clear if the feature includes group video calls or is currently limited to just one-to-one connection.
motamyez 