Recently, WhatsApp has been experimenting with some interesting features. Video messages and landscape mode for video calls were just recently introduced. Voice chats are now being tested on the messaging service’s app. Since the option has been present for individual chats, at first it may seem unclear, but this new one is being tested for groups. Participants in group chats will be able to easily interact with one another using this function without constantly placing voice calls, which introduces capabilities that are similar to those seen in well-known platforms like Telegram, Discord, Slack’s Huddles, and even Meta‘s own Messenger platform.
Voice chats on WhatsApp are now available to beta users
Android beta users are now receiving the new WhatsApp features with the most recent update, version 2.23.16.19. Any member of the group can start and join voice chats that are available in WhatsApp group chats. In a screenshot shared by WABetaInfo, the group chat name has a wave icon right next to it; pressing on it will initiate a voice chat.
For those users who have access to the live version of this feature group conversations contain a distinctive waveform icon. The WhatsApp account must have the feature and be compatible with the group for this icon to appear. The waveform icon, which displays a specific voice chat interface, can be tapped to start a voice chat. Anyone in the group, up to a maximum of 32 people, can easily join the conversation and start speaking once it has been activated. This new feature doesn’t cause everyone’s phones to ring at once as traditional group calls do.
The voice chat session persists even after everyone has left, but it ends on its own after an hour. Because voice chats within the app are end-to-end encrypted by default, WhatsApp can uphold its commitment to user security and privacy.
Notably, this remarkable addition could not only be available in beta installs. According to WABetaInfo, this capability may soon be made available to more people. Although Telegram has given voice chat capabilities since 2020, WhatsApp is not the first to introduce this feature, and this is where WhatsApp has a unique advantage. WhatsApp is one of the most widely utilized messaging programs in the world, with over 2 billion users worldwide.
As WhatsApp leads the way with this innovative voice chat function, it connects users in a way that is more immersive and engaging. Interacting with others enhances the app’s utility by meeting the many diverse communication requirements of its large user base. Whether it’s keeping up with pals, having a brainstorming session with colleagues, or simply sharing thoughts with a wider group, WhatsApp’s new voice chat feature has the potential to revolutionize digital communication.
