Call Features

WhatsApp launched a voice note feature, allowing users to send a voice message when a call is not answered. This option is available for both voice calls and video calls. The same feature exists in messages as well; a user can send a message just by pressing one button.

AI Updates

Meta improved the AI image creation feature in WhatsApp and introduced AI-powered image animation. A media tab has also been added to the desktop, simplifying the process of locating files or documents for the user. Additional new stickers have been included in the status option to enhance your self-expression

According to a blog post, users will require a second phone number and SIM card, or a phone that supports multi-SIM or eSIM, to set up two accounts. Users can then go to their WhatsApp settings, push the arrow next to their name, and select “Add account.” They can then create a second WhatsApp account on the app using their alternative phone number.

It’s also worth mentioning that users can customize their privacy and notification settings on each account separately. You may, for example, silence notifications on your personal account while allowing them on your work account, or vice versa. Messages sent and received on both accounts will be encrypted end-to-end.

The multi-account capability would allow users to seamlessly switch between business and personal accounts on WhatsApp, eliminating the need to carry two phones. WhatsApp also warned users on its blog not to download mimicking apps and to only use the genuine WhatsApp app from the Google Play Store. The feature on iOS devices has yet to be confirmed by the business.

The app also added support for passkeys on Android earlier this week. Android users can utilise biometric authentication on their phones or their device PIN to log back into their WhatsApp accounts securely.

 With these updates, Meta has leveled up to compete with some other popular video conferencing apps like Google Meet, Zoom, Skype and many more. It will also fulfill the communication needs at both personal and professional level. 

Mark Zuckerberg officially announced these updates on his social media account on Facebook with the caption – “We’re adding the ability to share your screen during a video call on WhatsApp”. He has also shared a picture taken during the demo of using the latest features”. 

SCREEN SHARING FEATURE 

With the help of screen sharing feature, WhatsApp users can now share the screen and present live view, documents, photos, videos and many more during the video calls. This feature will allow the users to easily engage during presentation or any type of collaborative work. 

Steps for Screen Sharing

1. Start a video Call

2. Tap on the screen share option near the call screen. 

3. Choose from the options – Share a specific screen or Share the entire screen. 

LANDSCAPE MODE FEATURE

Landscape mode is introduced to make the overall video call + screen sharing experience better. With this option, users can get a wider view by rotating the device horizontally, making the video calls more engaging and interactive. 

Users can switch to landscape mode by simply rotating their phone and the phone screen will automatically adjust to a wider view. 

The features will be updated in Android smartphones, iPhones and window platforms, soon it will be available in every WhatsApp user’s smartphone.

When someone messages a user and they have that chat locked, the sender’s name and the content of the message will remain hidden. WhatsApp’s new ‘Chat Lock’ option enables users to move private chats out of their main inbox to their own password-protected folder in the app.  

Over the next few months, WhatsApp has plans to add more options for Chat Lock, including locks for companion devices and creating a custom password for chats so that users can use a unique password different from the one they use for their phone.  

You will have a little over 2 days to delete your messages from your chats after you push send, according to a tweet shared by WhatsApp on Twitter. In 2018, WhatsApp introduced the over-one-hour time limit for deleting chat. Originally, messages could only be deleted for everyone in the chat seven minutes after being sent. The new time limit for “Delete Message for Everyone” is 2 days and 12 hours, according to WABetainfo, a platform that evaluates WhatsApp features before they are made available to the general public.

There is no indication that this capability is exclusive to iOS or Android users. However, it ought to be accessible to users of WhatsApp for iOS and Android.

WhatsApp users across the country can use the chatbot by simply sending ‘Namaste or Hi or Digilocker’ to the WhatsApp number +91 9013151515.

Offering Digilocker services on the MyGov Helpdesk is a natural progression and a step towards providing citizens with simplified access to essential services via WhatsApp’s easy and accessible platform, said Abhishek Singh, MyGov CEO, President and CEO NeGD, MD and CEO Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the government.

MyGov Helpdesk, will now offer a suite of services for integrated citizen support and efficient governance, starting with Digilocker services. The new service will enable citizens to access the following documents with ease and convenience, from the safety of their homes.

    PAN card

    Driving License

    CBSE Class X Passing Certificate

    Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC)

    Insurance Policy – Two Wheeler

    Class X Marksheet

    Class XII Marksheet

    Insurance Policy Document ( Life and Non life available on digilocker)

With almost 100 Million+ people already registered on Digilocker and 5 Billion+ documents issued till date, the service on WhatsApp will digitally empower millions by helping them access authentic documents and information, right from within their phones. This is in line with the vision of PM Shri Narendra Modi to streamline and improve delivery of public services.”

WhatsApp has also created a new call info screen so that users will be able to see which people have been invited for the call, who have not joined the call. Apart from this, users will also be able to see the active participants of the call from the call information feature.

With the new feature of WhatsApp, the user will see the option of ‘tap to join’ on the call log of WhatsApp, so that users will be able to join the ongoing call even if it is missed.

Users can go to the call log of Whatsapp, to join the call they want. This will open the Call-Info screen. Then from here, the user has to tap on ‘Join’ to enter the missed group call. This feature will work only on ongoing calls.

How to start Group Call

Group calling allows up to eight participants to video call with each other using WhatsApp. When you receive a group video call, the incoming WhatsApp group video call screen will show the participants currently on the call, and the first contact listed will be the participant that added you. Group video call history will appear in the CALLS tab. You can tap the call history to view the individual participants from the call. You can also join missed calls if they’re still ongoing.

Make a group video call

Make a group video call from a group chat

Open the WhatsApp group chat you want to video call.

If your group chat has nine or more participants, tap Group call.

If your group chat has eight or fewer participants, tap Video call. In this case, the call will immediately begin.

Find the contacts you want to add to the call, then tap Video call.

Make a group video call from the CALLS tab

Open WhatsApp, then tap the CALLS tab.

Tap New call > New group call.

Find the contacts you want to add to the call, then tap Video call.

Make a group video call from an individual chat

Open the WhatsApp chat with one of the contacts you want to video call.

Tap Video call.

Once the contact accepts the call, tap Open > Add participant.

Find another contact you want to add to the call, then tap ADD.

Tap Add participant if you want to add more contacts.

Join a group video call

Join an incoming group video call

You’ll receive a notification when someone invites you to join a group video call.

If you can’t join, tap Ignore. To open the call info screen, tap Join.

From the call menu, you can preview the call participants and other invitees.

Tap Join to join the call

While on the call, tap Open to open the call info screen.

Tap Add participant to add more contacts to the call.

Tap RING to send a notification to people who’ve already been invited.

Join a missed group video call

Open WhatsApp, then tap the CALLS tab.

If the call is ongoing, tap the call you’d like to join. This will open the call info screen.

From the call menu, tap Join.

Note:

Only eight participants can be active on a call at one time.

Make sure you and your contacts have strong internet connections when placing or receiving group video calls. The quality of the video call will depend on the contact with the weakest connection.

During a group video call, you have the option to turn your video off by tapping Video off.

You can’t remove a contact during a group video call. The contact would need to hang up their phone to disconnect from the call.

While it’s possible to be in a group video call with someone you’ve blocked, you can’t add a contact that you’ve blocked to the call or a contact that has blocked you.

Video calling is only available on Android phones running 4.1 or newer.

WhatsApp’s new feature is announced in a tweet with an example of how it works. The company mentioned, Photos and videos in WhatsApp are now even bigger, so no one will be left out of the picture! That’s the perfect reason to smile

Presently, Photos sent on WhatsApp appear a little cropped, and users have to open them to view the full image. With the new update, the full image and video in the chat will be shown.

Twitter has also recently launched this feature with full-view images on the timeline. This feature allows pictures to appear in a bigger size rather than in half, as they do now. As a result, the picture you tweeted would appear exactly as it does in the tweet composer.

In a blog, the company mentioned that they’ve seen significant increases in people calling one another on WhatsApp, often for long conversations. Last New Year’s Eve, a record for the most calls ever made in a single day with 1.4 billion voice and video calls. Answering on a bigger screen makes it easier to work with colleagues, see family more clearly on a bigger canvas, or free up user hands to move around a room while talking

The new audio and video calls on WhatsApp Desktop are end-to-end encrypted, which means WhatsApp can’t hear or see them, whether you call from your phone or your computer. Group voice and video calls feature will be expanding in the future.

How to use video and Audio calling feature on WhatsApp Desktop

You can make free voice and video calls to your contacts on WhatsApp Desktop if you have the app installed on your computer.

Desktop calling is supported on:

• Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 and newer
• macOS 10.13 and newer

To make or receive calls on WhatsApp Desktop, you’ll need:

• An audio output device and microphone for voice and video calls.
• A camera for video calls.
• An active internet connection on your computer and phone. The call won’t go through your phone, but it needs to be online to establish the call.
• To grant WhatsApp permission to access your computer’s microphone and camera. WhatsApp needs access to your computer’s microphone for calls and a camera for video calls.

On Friday, WhatsApp made an announcement in which it is mentioned that “We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security work on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15.”

WhatsApp takes back the new privacy policy for now and will review it again in May.

WhatsApp keeps on updating its feature and that’s why to make communicating with a business secure, better, and easier for everyone, they support over 175 million people who message a business account every day.  While not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp today, we think that more people will choose to do so in the future and its important people are aware of these services. This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook, it said.