WhatsApp Now Lets You Join Ongoing Calls

WhatsApp just announced that it’s rolling out a new feature, Joinable Calls that will make it easier for you to drop-in and drop-out of group calls.

Credit: WhatsApp

Called Joinable Calls, the feature lets you join a group call that’s already started. This means that even if you miss a call when it rings, you can still join whenever you like. You can also drop-off a call and rejoin it as long as it’s still ongoing. The feature is available on both Android and iOS devices starting today.

“If, like me, you miss just as many calls as you pick up, you’ll be excited to know we’re rolling out Joinable Calls on WhatsApp from today. Now if you miss the start of a group call, you can join it whenever you like,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. WhatsApp is part of Facebook’s suite of services and products after being acquired by the social media firm in 2014.

To accommodate this feature, the app’s interface also received some updates. One such change is the addition of the “Tap to Join” button on group calls that let you drop-in and join the selected call. WhatsApp also added a call info screen so you can see who is already on the call, and who has been invited but has yet to join. And, if you hit “ignore”, you can join later from the calls tab in the app.

The long-requested feature was first spotted when WhatsApp ran beta tests for it among a select number of users. WhatsApp, as customary for just about any app or service, conducted these tests to make sure the feature worked without a hitch on both iOS and Android devices before officially rolling it out.

Credit: Business Insider India

The chat app is reportedly running a new beta test right now on several new features. One of which is multi-device support for the app that lets you connect up to four devices to your account. This allows you to use the app without needing your phone be connected to the internet.

Another feature that is currently being worked on is end-to-end encryption for your chat backups that are uploaded to iCloud or Google Drive. WhatsApp only encrypts active chats and not backups. Of course, that could soon change when the feature is eventually made available.