Having the advantage of being one of the most widely used chat apps in the world, with over 2 billion users, WhatsApp now has a new feature for voice chat that allowed groups of 32 people to connect for a spoken session.
WABetaInfo, revealed this on Monday as it added that the new feature is been rolled out through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.16.19.
According to WABetalnfo, the new feature is similar to Telegram and Discord chats, Slack’s Huddles, and even Meta’s own Messenger platform.
The new feature, if it’s live in your version of the app, you’ll notice a waveform icon within group chats — but only if the WhatsApp account has the feature enabled and includes compatibility with the group.
Tapping the button immediately launches voice chat, along with its interface. Then, anyone in the group, up to 32 people, can just pop up and start speaking. Unlike the existing group calls feature, group voice chats will not make everyone’s phone ring.
When everyone leaves, the session remains active but will automatically end after an hour. Voice chats in WhatsApp are, like its other messages, end-to-end encrypted by default.
The new WhatsApp voice chat feature may show up on non-beta installations as well since WABetaInfo notes it’s a broader release.
Although, Meta isn’t early to the party with this feature — Telegram has had voice chat features since 2020.
