WhatsApp is jazzing things up with a fresh voice chat feature, set to amp up interactions in big groups and make those large group chats smoother. Now, instead of those ringing tones, participants get push notifications inviting them in. Plus, there's a handy in-chat bubble that lets them simply tap and hop into the voice chat. And you can also keep texting in the group chat while you're on a voice chat, thanks to the call controls hanging out at the top of the chat screen.
In a group voice chat on WhatsApp, folks taking part can spot who's joined through a banner at the screen's bottom. Meanwhile, those not in the chat can peep at the profiles of the joiners from the chat header and Calls tab.
Starting a voice chat is simple, just hop into the group chat you fancy, hit the waveform icon on the top right, and tap 'Start Voice Chat'. When you're ready to wrap things up, just tap the 'X' icon in the group chat's top right corner.
WhatsApp's support page dishes out some deets, these 'Voice Chats' are for groups ranging from 33 to 128 peeps and are exclusively for your primary device right now. Plus, if the last person bolts or if no one joins the first or last person within an hour, the voice chat bids adieu. And hey, just like your personal WhatsApp calls and messages, all these voice chats are end-to-end encrypted.