Since its very inception, WhatsApp has gained immense popularity because of its user-friendly interface, seamless chatting feature, and whatnot. With the advent of video conferencing, today, almost everybody uses WhatsApp. Then came, WhatsApp Web and Desktop respectively. Made to enhance the accessibility of WhatsApp users, this took WhatsApp to PC screens. Rest is history. With a user base of 487 million in India, WhatsApp is getting better and better every day. As per a recent update, now one can add up to 32 users in group calls on WhatsApp Desktop. Sounds amazing? In this Cybertech blog, we will be digging deeper into the same.

Everything you need to know about voice and group calls

While WhatsApp as well as WhatsApp for business has been best known for bringing private and secure messaging to users across the world, there was a need for voice and video calling. The app did feature a voice and video calling feature but it wasn’t well-known. Eventually, the word spread and that’s how WhatsApp became the best voice and video calling app so far. Today, more and more people are using WhatsApp as a way to connect with voice and video calls. And this is the reason why WhatsApp has been rolling out a plethora of improvements along the same lines so that you can catch up easily with your near and dear ones. Send blank messages on WhatsApp or enjoy the new interface with these updates.

In the past few months, a whole lot of new features for better call and video connectivity have been rolled out. Some of these have contributed to enhancing the UI as well. These include the following:

• Muting the messages during a WhatsApp and WhatsApp for a business group call. 

Well, WhatsApp group calls can get messy if you constantly hear that “ping” of incoming WhatsApp messages amidst the cacophony. Our recent update has provided a solution for that. The app allows you to mute and text individual people during a group call to limit distractions. 

Muting a participant in a group call is a quick and straightforward process. But first things first, ensure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your phone. Place a group call from within your group by tapping the “Call” button in the top-right corner of your screen. While on the call, WhatsApp shows you the “Participants” on your screen. Tap and hold the “Contact” you want to mute. This will show you a “Pop-up” window with the options to Message or Mute the participant you’ve selected - tap “Mute”. You will now see the “Mute” icon (microphone with a line through it) next to their name on the screen.

When you mute a participant, they can hear you, but you won't be able to hear them. To unmute them, follow the same steps, then tap “Unmute”. You can also mute participants who join a WhatsApp group call after it has started, to prevent them from interrupting the speaker.

• Call links for WhatsApp for business. 

In this fast-paced world, many times, we ain’t able to join an ongoing call. But what if you get a  link to join an ongoing call just like you do in the case of meetings? Yes, you guessed that right! This is a recently-launched feature of WhatsApp Messenger. Whether making a last-minute call or planning ahead, you can easily invite people to a group call by sharing a call link. WhatsApp call links are exactly what they sound like. They're links that users can create for others to join a call. People can join calls at the beginning or while they're ongoing. It works similarly to creating a call link for FaceTime, Zoom, or Google Meet, and it's just as simple to do. WhatsApp call links remove the pressure of joining a call when you're busy. Instead, you can join a few moments later when you're free. It also means that only people relevant to a conversation can be on a call at any given time. For instance, in a group call, several topics might be discussed that aren't relevant to all participants. In a situation like this, users can join a call only when they're needed, or when they can benefit from or contribute to the conversation.

• Better admin controls

Recently, WhatsApp also announced the features like giving the group admins better control over the group chats. The admins will also be able to see all the requests from people in a single place, and it will be easily manageable for them to add people to the group. One more feature has been introduced by WhatsApp that helps users keep a check of all the groups that they are a part of and can even avoid group repetition. It is being said that both the new features will be available globally in a couple of months.

• Tablet version.

For the purpose of increasing the multi-device capabilities, the Meta-owned company has also unveiled a new WhatsApp beta experience for Android tablets. Apart from that, the company is also rolling out an application, especially for Mac desktops, which also helps in loading at a quicker speed. As of now, the application is currently in the beta stage. Expectations are that the application’s stable version will be released pretty soon.

• Colorful waveforms.

Now you can easily see who is speaking if their camera is off. In-call banner notifications: See when someone new joins a group called. Here, when the user makes a basic voice call, the UI changes as well. A screenshot of the user interface was released on the website, where three persons are on the phone. Waveform motion is included in all three panes. Participants see who is conversing in real-time as a result of this. The waveform will also be colored differently to make it easier to recognize. The software uses a pop-up window below the windows to house the call-end button. There will also be a Mute button and a hands-free option on it. Guess what, your WhatsApp for business accounts are getting a makeover as well. Facebook's parent company, Facebook, will soon add a feature to the instant messaging app. WhatsApp for business accounts will be able to upload a cover photo on their contact page. This gives their entire page a fresh design and also makes it simple to communicate some basic confirmation.

• No internet connectivity is required on phone for WhatsApp Web usage.

Earlier, users could use WhatsApp on a desktop by scanning a QR code using WhatsApp web. So, for continuous service, the primary phone needed to be connected to the internet. Last year, the platform gave standard users access to a “linked devices” feature, which lifted this limitation. “Since introducing new multi-device capabilities, we have made improvements including faster device linking and better syncing across devices, as well as new features like link previews and stickers,” Meta said.

• Picture in Picture on iOS

Now in beta testing and rolling out in the new year, one got to easily multitask while on a call. This happened because of a minimized in-call video screen. As always, all calls on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default to protect people’s privacy and safety. To start using picture-in-picture on your iPhone or iPad, you need to make sure this feature is enabled. By default, picture-in-picture should be ready to use, but if you want to turn it on or off for yourself, then you need not do much. On your iPhone or iPad, open a video app you want to use.

Choose the movie or show you want to watch. Once the show or movie is playing, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to go back to Home Screen. If your iPhone or iPad has a Home button, just click that instead.

WhatsApp keeps bringing new updates for all its versions. Currently, the meta-owned instant messaging platform has rolled out a new application that loads at a fast pace. The brand-new WhatsApp for business allows users to make group voice calls and video calls with up to 32 attendants. Wish to know more? Scroll down to the subsequent section.

Group Calls for Up to 32 People on Desktop: In the news

An updated version of the WhatsApp app for Windows has been launched by Meta Platforms’ chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg. On their desktop PCs, users can participate in group audio and video calls with up to 32 individuals combined. According to Meta, WhatsApp began as a smartphone app, and while its roots in the mobile ecosystem have remained strong, the company is now concentrating on improving the messaging and calling experience across devices since hundreds of millions of people also use WhatsApp on PCs and tablets. For the approximately 2 billion active users of the messaging app, the new WhatsApp user for Windows desktop loads more quickly and enhances the calling experience. The social media company wants to establish WhatsApp as a platform that offers a fully end-to-end encrypted messenger app and enables cross-platform communication between mobile devices, laptops, tablets, and other devices. It recently unveiled a brand-new, beta version of WhatsApp for Mac desktops and Android tablets that is still in its development. “As we continue to increase the number of devices that support WhatsApp, we’ve recently introduced a new WhatsApp beta experience for Android tablets and for Mac desktops that are currently in the early stages of beta. We look forward to bringing WhatsApp to even more devices in the future,” Meta said.

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