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WhatsApp now lets you make calls using its web app
WhatsApp has added calling support to its web app, closing a long-standing gap where audio and video calls were limited to the smartphone and native desktop applications. The update, rolled out by parent company Meta, means the browser-based version now matches the functionality of the dedicated apps, making it easier for users to manage calls directly from a web browser without switching devices.
The web app's new Calls tab includes call history and favourites, along with features already found on desktop such as screen-sharing and reactions. Alongside this, WhatsApp is introducing several related improvements: seamless call transfers between devices, waiting rooms for group calls (enabled via a "Require approval to join" setting), background noise suppression, and faster switching to high-definition video at the start of calls. Meta has also recently opened reservations for WhatsApp usernames, which will eventually allow cross-platform calling.
In short
- WhatsApp Web now supports audio and video calls
- New features include call transfers, waiting rooms and noise suppression
- HD video will now start streaming faster on calls
Explained simply
WhatsApp is a messaging app owned by Meta used by billions of people worldwide. Most people use it on their smartphone, but the service also offers a web version that runs in your browser—a convenient way to access WhatsApp from a computer without needing to install anything. Until now, the web version only supported messaging; if you wanted to make or receive a call on WhatsApp, you had to switch to the phone app or a desktop application.
This gap meant people working at computers or regularly moving between devices could not access all of WhatsApp's features from one place. Meta has now added calling functionality to the web platform, closing this divide. The web version now matches the phone and desktop apps, letting users make, receive and manage calls from their browser without changing devices.
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