From the beginning of the pandemic To date, everything we knew about communication has changed. The burden of reshaping it—so that we can stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues while remaining physically distant—has fallen entirely on the major tech players (Google updated Google Meet), social media platforms (Facebook launched Rooms to compete with Zoom), and messaging apps such as Viber and WhatsApp. In fact, WhatsApp broke the record for the most calls (voice and video) in a single day: 1.4 billion on New Year’s Eve.
From WhatsApp to WhatsApp Desktop
As the company announced on its official blog, users can now make personal voice and video calls directly from their computers—something that, until recently, was possible only on «smart» cell phones.
This feature is available on both Windows and iOS.
How to Make Calls on WhatsApp Desktop
A customizable standalone window will appear on the desktop, which will be set to always stay on top so the user doesn't have to search for it among the other open tabs in the browser.
The new phone-shaped button has been placed on the top row of the communication panel. By pressing it, the user can choose whether to make an audio call or a video call. Once the user makes a selection, The call will open in a window separate from the main chat window.
The person receiving the call will see a pop-up window on their screen similar to the one used by the Skype. There, he will be able to read the name of the person calling him, see their photo, and choose between three buttons: accept the call, reject it, or ignore it—that is, let it ring until it stops.
It should be noted here that group video calls will be delayed for quite some time. For now, they only work on a one-to-one basis. «We are working on this feature. It will be available in the near future.», the company noted in its announcement.
