WhatsApp has rolled out its new free
voice-calling feature to a few users India which appears to be
available on invite-only basis, as of now. The invite-only basis basically
means that users will get a call through WhatsApp from someone who already
has the feature updated. The feature is also restricted to Android only and you
will need the updated 2.11.508 version to access the app.
A report by GSM
Arena pointed out that one Reddit user called pradnesh07 was able to get the feature activated
on his Nexus 5 smartphone running on Android 5.0 Lollipop.
He posted saying that, “I can’t seem to send
invites to other people, the only thing I can ensure is that it works in India
for people running Lollipop 5.0.x on a Nexus 5. Other Indians without the
earlier combo don’t get it.”
According to the images posted, users who
receive the voice-calling feature will notice an icon for it, beside the Chats
and Contacts tabs. The call interface seems to quite similar to a smartphone’s
contact directory. The app keeps a record of recent WhatsApp calls as well.
Image: GSM Arena
Earlier, a few WhatsApp
screenshots showcasing this voice-calling feature were leaked
online by Androidworld.nl. WhatsApp
also released WhatsApp
for Web users which simply mirrors whats’s on your smartphone to
the screen. WhatsApp for web is currently available through the Google Chrome browser and
also supports Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone. However iOS users can’t
access WhatsApp for web.
WhatsApp’s voice-calling roll-out comes soon
after rival Indian app Hike rolled out for
free voice-calling on 2G and 3G for their app. Of course in terms of
user engagement, WhatsApp is ahead of it rivals. Facebook, which bought
WhatsApp last year, recently
revealed that the app has 700 million monthly active users and that
over 30 billion messages are shared on WhatsApp everyday. With voice-calling
feature coming soon, it’s likely that WhatsApp’s engagement number will rise
further.
