Meta announced on Monday (13) that WhatsApp will have voice conversations for large groups. The feature is different from a voice call. It works as if it were a Discord voice channel: up to 32 participants can join the room at any time and chat, without having to call the other members of the group. Slack and Telegram also have such tools.
According to Meta, the feature will be made available in the coming weeks for Android and iPhone (iOS). Groups with 33 or more members will receive the feature first.
Since WhatsApp supports voice calls with up to 32 people, it seems that the priority is to give an option for voice calls to larger groups. The company also emphasizes that conversations rely on end-to-end encryption.
WhatsApp voice chats promise to be less intrusive than group calls. To start a conversation, just tap on the sound wave icon, which is in the top bar of the group screen (if your group already has the feature, of course). The other members’ cell phones don’t ring; they only receive a push notification.
When you enter the conversation, the controls are at the top of the app’s screen, and you can easily mute the microphone or leave the chat. Text chat is still available, and it’s easy to send messages in the group without having to navigate through the app.
WhatsApp wants to be a complete messenger
The news does not come as a surprise to those who follow the news about WhatsApp. Voice chats began testing in March 2023. In August 2023, participants in the Android app’s beta program had access to the feature.
Little by little, WhatsApp is trying to become a more complete app, following in the footsteps of competitors in various areas, such as Telegram, Discord and Microsoft Teams, to name a few.
In recent years, it has gained video calls for up to eight participants on desktop, screen sharing, Communities, and Channels.
