WhatsApp, the famous instant messaging app, has recently introduced a new feature that allows users to engage in Discord-like voice chats.
While it may seem similar to voice calls and voice notes, the new function is more similar to ‘group calls’. Starting a voice chat, however, does not ring everyone in the group but instead sends a silent push notification.
Users will be able to join and leave whenever they want, similar to how the feature works on Discord. The call controls show at the top of the group chat and allow members to message while the voice chat is active.
Participants in the group can view those who entered the voice chat in a banner at the bottom of the screen, while those who aren’t in the group may see the profiles of individuals who joined from the chat header and the Calls tab.
To start a voice chat, go into the group chat with which you wish to start a voice call, tap on the waveform icon in the upper right corner of the screen, and then click the ‘Start Voice Chat’ button. To end the voice chat, click on the ‘X’ symbol in the upper right corner of the group chat.
‘Voice Chats,’ first spotted in August, was available to a small number of users on the beta version of the app, but WhatsApp now appears to be rolling out the features to everyone. However, the latest feature may not be available on your device for a couple of days.