WHATSAPP UPGRADES DESKTOP VERSION, INTRODUCES VOICE, VIDEO CALLING FEATURES

Fri 05 March 2021:

Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp has introduced a voice and video calling feature on its desktop version, the company said on Thursday.

The company said users will be able to use desktop screens for calls in both portrait and landscape mode, and the calls will be end-to-end encrypted.

The move to facilitate calls over large screens would put WhatsApp on par with video-conferencing bigwigs Zoom and Google Meet, but it is not clear if it has ambitions to compete with the two in the enterprise space.

To try it out, you simply download the Mac or Windows version of the desktop app.

Click on any individual chat and you’ll now see the familiar video and phone call symbols at the top-right of the window. Click on one and you’ll be instantly connected to your contact.

The Facebook-owned chat app has long supported video and voice calls on its mobile apps for iOS and Android, but these features haven’t been available on a desktop or laptop.

That’s left it lagging behind the likes of Zoom and Google Meet — a particular problem during the coronavirus pandemic, when far more people have been staying in touch virtually.

The big-screen view definitely improves the WhatsApp video-calling experience, making it easier to see what’s going on and freeing up your hands to write, type or make silly gestures as you prefer.

WhatsApp, which recorded 1.4 billion voice and video calls on last New Year’s Eve, has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic as people around the world used video-calling apps to stay connected while sheltering themselves at home.