On apps like Zoom and Google Meet, we can share links for making video calls. Popular chat app WhatsApp is also rolling out the feature, so you can share a link of a call with family and friends. The feature will start appearing on WhatsApp this week and can be accessed through a banner located at the top of the Calls tab.
Mark Zuckerberg has through a post on Facebook said that WhatsApp users will be able to share a link to a call with “a single tap”. The feature was teased back in April during the announcement of another upcoming feature, WhatsApp Communities. Call links will support both audio and video calls.
Zuckerberg also mentioned that the company is testing 32-person encrypted video calls. The feature was first announced in April, but now it seems to be rolling it out for a limited set of users. At the moment, WhatsApp caps video calls at eight users.
With the expanded call capacity, WhatsApp models itself as a competitor for the likes of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom, though rivals have a far greater “caller” capacity — 100 for Google and Microsoft Teams and 300 for Zoom, even though restrictions include call duration for free accounts. What sets WhatsApp apart is that it’s the first choice for billions of people already chatting on the platform.
