WhatsApp to introduce audio, video calling on desktop app for users
WhatsApp will Thursday roll out voice and video calling from
the desktop, making it easier for people to take calls at their convenience.
Voice and video calls on WhatsApp Web will
also be end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that WhatsApp can’t hear
or see them, whether you call from your phone or your computer.
"We’re starting with one-to-one calls on the WhatsApp desktop
app so we make sure we can give you a reliable and high-quality experience. We
will be expanding this feature to include group voice and video calls in the
future," the company said in a statement.
The Facebook-owned messaging app had been testing this feature for
very few users since late last year.
In order to make a WhatsApp desktop call, you need to have a
Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 and newer or macOS 10.13 and newer.
One of the reasons for WhatsApp to roll out this feature is
increased calling on the platform due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
"Throughout the last year we've seen significant increases in
people calling one another on WhatsApp, often for long conversations. Last New
Year’s Eve, we broke the record for the most calls ever made in a single day
with 1.4 billion voice and video calls. With so many people still apart from
their loved ones, and adjusting to new ways of working, we want conversations
on WhatsApp to feel as close to in-person as possible, regardless of where you
are in the world or the tech you’re using," the company said.
"Answering on a bigger screen makes it easier to work with colleagues, see
your family more clearly on a bigger canvas, or free up your hands to move
around a room while talking," it added.
India is WhastApp's largest market with over 400 million users.
According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the
platform has 530 million users in the country.
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