{"id":867890,"date":"2026-07-29T10:55:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=867890"},"modified":"2026-07-29T10:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:55:12","slug":"5-big-changes-coming-to-whatsapp-including-web-calling-and-better-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/867890\/5-big-changes-coming-to-whatsapp-including-web-calling-and-better-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"5 big changes coming to WhatsApp, including web calling and better sound"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>WhatsApp has announced improvements to its call features, introducing five new functionalities, including web calling and noise suppression for clearer audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The platform is an immensely popular communication tool in South Africa, with an estimated 30 million users in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has been making a push over the past few years to regularise its services on both mobile and web, with the latest enhancements the next big milestone in that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhether you&#8217;re on your phone, at your desk, or switching between the two, calling on WhatsApp just works, privately and simply,\u201d WhatsApp said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToday, we are bringing new features to make that easier, no matter where you are or what device you&#8217;re on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the core new features is web calling, where users can now make and receive both audio and video calls directly from WhatsApp Web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be done in one-on-one or group settings, without needing to download the app. Users can also join a call without leaving their current page.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is particularly useful for college students using a shared computer, employees working on a laptop that restricts application downloads, or anyone who simply prefers to use a web browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Users will also have access to features available on other devices, including screen sharing, reactions, and a dedicated Calls tab that provides an overview of their complete call history and favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The web calls are<strong> end-to-end encrypted, have no time limits, and are free.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other new features being added are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Call Transfer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waiting Room<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>QuickHD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Noise Suppression<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Call transfer is a feature that allows users to move an active group call from one device to another without disconnecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The feature allows users to start a call on their mobile device or tablet while on the go, then transfer it to WhatsApp Web or Desktop when they get home to take advantage of a larger screen, or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The waiting room is for better control over who joins group calls and when, WhatsApp said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Users can create a WhatsApp call link with &#8220;Require approval to join&#8221; enabled, and participants will enter a waiting room until they are admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The QuickHD is a feature to improve the video experience, allowing users to use high-definition video from the start of the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The noise suppression feature aims to eliminate background noise, which should help ensure clear voice and audio, even in loud or busy environments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The feature can be managed at any time in the in-call settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WhatsApp said the features are being rolled out gradually and will soon be available to everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WhatsApp has announced improvements to its call features, introducing five new functionalities, including web calling and noise suppression for clearer audio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":795311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"posted","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"2082389674769743902","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[2118],"class_list":["post-867890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-whatsapp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=867890"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":867921,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867890\/revisions\/867921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/795311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}