WhatsApp adds one-click link to join calls and tests 32-person video chat

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to share a direct link to the call, making it easier to stay in touch with your loved ones. The Call Links feature will start appearing on WhatsApp this week and can be accessed via a banner at the top of the Calls tab. WhatsApp users who want to try out the call link feature will need the latest version of the app.

Mark Zuckerberg announced this feature on Facebook, saying that WhatsApp users will be able to share the link of the call with a "single tap". The ability to share call links with up to 32 users was teased back in April during the announcement of another upcoming feature, WhatsApp Communities.

The Call Link feature will support both audio and video calls, and Zuckerberg also confirmed that encrypted video calling is currently being tested for group calls of up to 32 people, which is noteworthy, as WhatsApp currently has eight are users. Makes video calls.

The expanded call capability establishes WhatsApp as a competitor to the likes of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The collar capacity of these rival offerings is far higher (100 for Google and Microsoft Teams and 300 for Zoom). However, they include restrictions such as call duration for free accounts and may not be the first choice for the billions of people who are already chatting on WhatsApp. WhatsApp has not mentioned any restriction on call duration, which could position it as one of the best free video calling applications for small teams and individual networks once it becomes widely available.