Audio-Video Calling Comes to WhatsApp Web; No App Needed

WhatsApp Web Audio-Video Calling Support: After a long wait, the messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a highly useful feature. Audio and video calls can now be made via WhatsApp Web as well.

WhatsApp Web Audio-Video Calling Support: After a long wait, support for audio and video calling has finally arrived on WhatsApp Web. You no longer need the phone or desktop app to make audio or video calls via WhatsApp. Along with this, the company has announced several other updates, including call transfer, a waiting room for group calls, and background noise suppression to improve call quality. Let’s take a detailed look at each of these features.

WhatsApp Web Audio-Video Calling

The biggest addition in the new updates is support for audio and video calling. Until now, making a voice or video call via a computer required the desktop app. That requirement has now been eliminated; users can perform this task directly from WhatsApp Web without downloading any app. Work on this feature had been underway for quite some time. It was launched for group chats in June and is now available for one-on-one calls as well. The company is rolling it out in a phased manner, and it will be available to all users within the next few days.

Features Available in Web Calling

Screen sharing and reactions
Dedicated call tabs
No time limits
No charges for audio-video calls
End-to-end encryption

Call Transfer

Along with calling support, WhatsApp has also introduced a new call transfer feature. As the name suggests, this allows you to transfer an ongoing call from one device to another. Previously, if you were speaking to someone via WhatsApp on your phone, the call could not be transferred to a desktop or another device. Previously, to make a call from your desktop, you had to disconnect any ongoing voice or video call on your phone. That hassle is now a thing of the past; you can transfer an active call from your phone to your desktop without disconnecting it.

Waiting Room

WhatsApp has introduced a ‘Waiting Room’ feature for group calls. Users joining a group call will first enter a waiting room, after which the host or organizer can decide whether or not to admit them to the call. This feature functions similarly to the waiting rooms found on Google Meet and Zoom. It gives users greater control over group calls, allowing them to keep unwanted participants out.

Background Noise Suppression

Now, even if you make a WhatsApp call from a crowded or noisy location, the person on the other end will hear your voice with perfect clarity. WhatsApp has introduced a new ‘Background Noise Suppression’ feature for this purpose. It reduces ambient noise during voice and video calls, facilitating smoother conversations and ensuring users can hear each other clearly despite the background noise. This feature will be particularly useful for those who communicate with contacts via WhatsApp while at cafes, airports, or on public transport.

WhatsApp to Compete with Google Meet and Zoom

After a long time, WhatsApp has begun focusing on improving call quality and is now set to compete directly with platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. These features have been highly anticipated; with their arrival, the audio and video calling capabilities on WhatsApp Web can be used for everything from casual chats with friends to professional office tasks. Given that millions of people worldwide use WhatsApp daily, the company won’t need to struggle to establish its presence in the way Google Meet and Zoom had to.