WhatsApp Testing Voice and Video Call Features for Mac Desktop Client

[MacRumors]

WhatsApp will soon let Mac users make voice and video calls from the platform's desktop client, according to a new report from forthcoming feature specialist WABetaInfo.

WhatsApp has offered voice and video calling in its mobile app for some time, but the feature doesn't extend to the encrypted messaging platform's web and desktop clients.

However, that looks set to change, based on a beta of WhatsApp's desktop variant. As the screenshot below shows, users involved in the beta testing stage of the client can see new voice and video calling buttons in the chat header of the app window.

Clicking either button initiates a voice or video call to the selected contact, and then displays a separate pop-up window showing options to enable or disable video, mute the call, or hang up.

Meanwhile, a call recipient using the desktop client sees a similar pop-up window indicating someone is calling them and offering them options to accept or decline the incoming call.

It's not clear how long voice and video calls will remain in beta testing on the desktop client, but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features, so if we could well see the functionality appear in an update in the next few weeks.

Article Link: WhatsApp Testing Voice and Video Call Features for Mac Desktop Client

 

[beanbaguk]

I’m still waiting for WhatsApp for iPad.....why am i forced to use dodgy knock-off HTML wrapper apps???? (I don’t, but you get the idea....)

Also, where is WhatsApp for Apple Watch?

 

[Pupi]

but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features

I... uhhhh.... what??

 

[JohnMi]

another tracking app ? and now for the Mac ? hmmm - amazing that people simply allow all this

 

[-Ryan-]

This has already been rolled out into my app. Works as expected.

 

[mtrm]

another tracking app ? and now for the Mac ? hmmm - amazing that people simply allow all this

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

 

[CarpalMac]

... but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features...

That small statement has just cost you a lot of reporting credibility in my eyes.

It simply could not be further from the truth. That is unless the definition of fairly has changed since I last looked it up (which admittedly has been a while...)

 

[Spongmincer]

Look forward to this update and hopefully soon being able to use the same amount on multiple devices. Just hope Facebook don't stick their noses in too far otherwise I'm gone.

 

[calstanford]

`

This has already been rolled out into my app. Works as expected.

meaning ... it doesn't work?

 

[nvmls]

The call quality is trash on the mobile app already and you want to expand it to your desktop app abomination?

Show some dignity and re-write a proper desktop app from scratch, maybe reach telegram's half quality level?

 

[iGüey]

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

Agree! Same situation in Mexico and I suppose in the rest of Latin America countries, where those of us who have iPhones are in the minority. Unfortunately there are many countries where having WhatsApp on our iPhones is a necessary evil.

 

[iGüey]

By the way, when can we have the WhatsApp app for iPad? We have waited it for years.

 

[mazz0]

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

What's wrong with that?

I'm actually In a good mood today as I've finally managed to fully migrate away from WhatsApp! I couldn't get people to use Signal, but I did find the one person I had left using WhatsApp (and who apparently gets charged for international SMS) is also on Discord, so I can use that instead! Woo!

 

[Frixos]

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

I live in the US (where most people I know have Iphones), but I have a friend in the UK I keep up with. We've been using Whatsapp because, like you say, most people there use WhatsApp.
Fortunately, my buddy also has Groupme, so I'm using that to keep up with him.

I managed to get some of my other oversees contacts to download Signal. So I was able to delete Whatsapp off my phone and just use Groupme and Signal. It feels good. I never really liked Whatsapp plus their list of tracking is loooong.

 

[Frixos]

Look at these privacy comparisons:

Whatsapp:

Groupme:

Signal:

 

[k27]

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.

Of course, you have an option. You can't be reached by these people via Messenger. Period.
I have never used Facebook/WhatsApp and I will not change that.

The bad thing is that all these WhatsApp users share their address book 99.9 percent of the time with Facebook. And I don't trust Facebook. You can find out a lot with metadata. I know just one person who uses WhatsApp and has blocked access to the address book.

 

[ksec]

When are we going to get Native WhatsApp on Mac instead of Electrons running WebViews?

 

[Jimmy James]

Signal. /

 

[Steve121178]

another tracking app ? and now for the Mac ? hmmm - amazing that people simply allow all this

WhatsApp is the messaging standard for the majority of people unfortunatly.

I resisted installing it for as long as I could but I was just missing out on all the social chat with friends & family, so I had to install it.

 

[TwoBytes]

This will work great for the iPad app...oh wait.

 

[Mindgap]

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

Ever heard of Signal?

 

[Patriks7]

Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁

Well that's the only smart thing to do sad part is, even most people I know with iPhones prefer to use Whatsapp...

 

[Wagbh]

Any way to force the beta features on the desktop or is it randomly rolled out? Not showing up on mine yet.