New WhatsApp feature could soon let you voice chat with a larger group

Those who are part of a larger WhatsApp group know the struggles of having to hop onto a chaotic group call in the middle of a busy day. In an attempt to tackle this and simplify communication, meta-owned WhatsApp plans to roll out a feature that could help conduct voice calls in larger groups with ease. Currently, the group calling feature supports up to 32 participants. However, the new addition is set to work slightly differently.

WhatsApp voice chats for groups: How will they work?

If you’re in a group with a larger audience, the feature is designed to send you a silent push notification instead of ringing you into the call. It appears like an in-chat bubble that you can tap to join. In any case, if the voice chat bubble remains empty for 60 minutes, the call will expire due to inactivity. That said, users always have the option to restart communication on the chat by initiating another group voice chat. 

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Once connected, you can access regular voice call functions on top of your screen and also send regular group chats to those in the group. Like every other communication on the platform, WhatsApp ensures your group voice chats are end-to-end encrypted. 

Why is this WhatsApp feature beneficial for larger groups?

Group participants who wish to ignore the call can still see who is active on the ongoing voice chat. Additionally, they will also be able to join and leave the call at any point in time. These calls will be significantly less disruptive for busier groups and will allow you to ignore any unwanted communication if required.

For now, WhatsApp is only rolling out this feature for groups that have between 32 to 128 members. However, the feature will soon begin replicating for a larger audience as well.

For now, it remains to be seen when the instant messaging app makes the feature available for linked devices, and is currently only rolling out for smartphone users. Android and iOS users will both be able to make the most of this feature in the coming days.