WhatsApp bringing ‘voice chats’ for groups, up to 32 participants can join: Report
The presence of a ‘voice waveform’ icon (top right) means the feature has been activated for a user.
WhatsApp is rolling out a new ‘voice chats’ feature for groups, allowing up to 32 participants to join a voice chat at the same time.
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This is according to WhatsApp news tracker WABetaInfo, with the website noting in its report that the feature is currently being tested with select beta testers, and more people will get the ability in the coming days.
How does ‘voice chats’ work?
A screenshot uploaded by WABetaInfo explains how voice chats will work.
As seen in the attached screenshot, users will see a ‘voice waveform’ icon (top right, left of three dots) if voice chats has been activated for them; tapping on this icon will automatically start the conversation, and a dedicated interface will appear.
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The report further states that the feature is available only for certain groups, generally those with more than 32 members. However, not more than 32 people can join a conversation at the same time. Also, if no one joins after 60 minutes, the chat will end on its own.
Features of ‘voice chats’
As per WABetaInfo, the call is initiated without the phone of each participant ringing; they are, instead, informed via a silent push notification each time a new voice chat is created in the group. Also, the conversations are end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only group members can listen to the contents of a call.
