WhatsApp Rolls Out Web Calling, Call Transfer Across Devices, and More

[ratspg]

Queue the "omg Its Meta/Facebook I'll never use anything by Zuck comments."

Great features added to WhatsApp! Finally.

 

[Digitalweddings]

Still waiting for scheduled messages, the order of importance that the bring out new features is mind boggling

 

[tomtad]

Yes, every time with my Apple fellows, it’s comfy and cozy

I know the feeling. Sadly everyone seems to be on WhatsApp

 

[svish]

Good to know about this. I use WhatsApp only occasionally and don't think I will require the new features.

 

[atoqir]

I do feel bad for the UK peeps stuck with this app.

However, I don’t see how it is something required (outside of a job) as if people want to truly keep in touch, they will find a way outside of WhatsApp.

If it’s also required for a job, would they not supply a work phone to use the software they require for the job functions? Curious really.

It’s not only UK. It’s in the whole EU. I have a lot of international friends and they all use WhatsApp. Same for family groups and members and friends planning events through it.

Also have to use for work. We don’t get a phone from work but everyone gets a monthy ‘communication fee’ as extra wage as incentive.

And in my country there are also customer support services that use WhatsApp for Business if you need help.

It is pretty inescapable here. And since no one except my partner is on iMessage, I would be left out or everything. If I need to force an employer, family and friends all to change app because of just me, it wouldn’t keep it against them if they kept me out of the loop because it would be a very self egocentric and narcissist move.

 

[triumvirate]

It’s not only UK. It’s in the whole EU. I have a lot of international friends and they all use WhatsApp. Same for family groups and members and friends planning events through it.

Also have to use for work. We don’t get a phone from work but everyone gets a monthy ‘communication fee’ as extra wage as incentive.

And in my country there are also customer support services that use WhatsApp for Business if you need help.

It is pretty inescapable here. And since no one except my partner is on iMessage, I would be left out or everything. If I need to force an employer, family and friends all to change app because of just me, it wouldn’t keep it against them if they kept me out of the loop because it would be a very self egocentric and narcissist move.

Being so tethered to a Meta app seems like an absolute nightmare to me. That is truly unfortunate for EU customers. I would just have to have less contact with people lol.

 

[Cesar Battistini]

They are cooking lately.

Maybe AI made development easier, or something changed internally that made the Apple a priority.

 

[RickDEGH]

I bluntly stopped using it. If people want the reach me there's Signal, Telegram, SMS, And iMessage. Plenty of choice, no reason not to contact me.

Not when you have kids, with school parent groups, football and activity groups, etc all on WhatsApp. Trust me, I would drop it this minute if I could.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Not when you have kids, with school parent groups, football and activity groups, etc all on WhatsApp. Trust me, I would drop it this minute if I could.

I hear you. I was in a similar position, with work, neighbors, school, all being on Whatsapp. I only used WhatsApp in a listening mode with very selective access to my contacts. I never replied via Whatsapp. I was 'that guy'. Old man yelling at the moon and all that 😂. In the end I just deleted Whatsapp and never looked back. Happy Signal user now, and I managed to get quite a lot of people over to it.

Good luck!!

 

[tomtad]

I do feel bad for the UK peeps stuck with this app.

However, I don’t see how it is something required (outside of a job) as if people want to truly keep in touch, they will find a way outside of WhatsApp.

If it’s also required for a job, would they not supply a work phone to use the software they require for the job functions? Curious really.

Most of the world as far as I'm aware.

if you don't have WhatsApp you're excommunicated

 

[Mehaly]

I hear you. I was in a similar position, with work, neighbors, school, all being on Whatsapp. I only used WhatsApp in a listening mode with very selective access to my contacts. I never replied via Whatsapp. I was 'that guy'. Old man yelling at the moon and all that 😂. In the end I just deleted Whatsapp and never looked back. Happy Signal user now, and I managed to get quite a lot of people over to it.

Good luck!!

I feel the same way. I haven't deleted it yet, but I have a great trick: I installed WA Business and am using it instead of the standard app. First of all, I don't have to see that annoying Meta AI ring. Secondly, I set up an auto-reply for incoming messages. In three different languages, I explain my stance on Meta and ask people to contact me via iMessage, Signal, or RCS.


And it works! Many people have switched with me; they know about my activism and support it. I’ve talked to many WhatsApp groups and moved plenty of them to Signal. It doesn't work every single time, but it has been largely successful! Huge neighborhood groups, parent and school groups, and even work-related groups are all on Signal now—even here in Germany!


It’s a bit like doing something for the environment: you can't save the whole world on your own, but you can still make your own contribution. Please don't give up—enjoy deleting and exiting!

 

[bluecoast]

I do feel bad for the UK peeps stuck with this app.

However, I don’t see how it is something required (outside of a job) as if people want to truly keep in touch, they will find a way outside of WhatsApp.

If it’s also required for a job, would they not supply a work phone to use the software they require for the job functions? Curious really.

It’s not used for work - or it shouldn’t be! - due to data retention and privacy reasons.

What it is used for is practically everything else.

Friends family groups, friend groups. Parents, neighbourhood groups. Join a club or a class and it’ll have a WhatsApp group. Business updates etc. The list goes on.

Basically think of everything that used to be on Facebook 10 or so years ago - it’s now on WhatsApp.

 

[sich]

Where is Parent-Managed Account feature promised half a year ago?

 

[iCyprus]

They are cooking lately.

Maybe AI made development easier, or something changed internally that made the Apple a priority.

Exactly what I was thinking after I read the post.

Maybe the developers over there weren't the best after all