One of the good things about WhatsApp is the fact that it is available for so many different platforms. From desktop to mobile, there are numerous apps available but, as is so often the case, Linux users do not get a look in.
And this is part of the reason that the web-based version of WhatsApp is so important. It not only makes it possible to access your account on devices you are not able to install an app on, it also provides communication options for platforms for which a WhatsApp app does not exist – such as Linux.
But while the web-based version of WhatsApp is undeniably useful, it is not without its limitations. This means that, among other things, Linux users who have been forced to use the online version of the app have been missing out on various features – including the ability to make voice and video calls.
Now this is changing. WhatsApp has started tentative testing of voice and video calls to the web app. At the moment, it is only possible to make such calls to individuals, but group calling is also in the pipeline. This is something that WhatsApp has been working on for quite some time now, so it is good to see that progress has been made.
News of the rollout comes courtesy of WABetaInfo which says:
WhatsApp is finally rolling out a feature that lets some users make calls directly from the web client. The feature has been in development for about a year, over which time WhatsApp has refined the experience to match the functionality offered by desktop apps. This initial rollout focuses on individual chats, allowing users to place both voice and video calls without installing the desktop app. Users can simply open a chat and click the call button to start.
The site goes on to say: “Calls made from WhatsApp Web are end-to-end encrypted, the same way as they are on Android, iOS, and desktop apps. This ensures that only the two participants can hear the conversation, so not even WhatsApp and Meta can access the content of the call. Calls placed from the web client are encrypted using the Signal protocol, which has protected all messages, calls, and status updates on WhatsApp for years. It’s worth noting that users do not need to enable any special settings, as encryption is automatically available for all calls”.
WABetaInfo reports that the initial rollout seems to be limited to users signed up to the WhatsApp Web beta program. While the feature has been a long-time coming, now that the initial rollout is underway, it should not be too long until it is widely available.
While we have talked about the positive impact this will have for Linux users, voice and video calls landing on the web is good news for anyone who is web-based, whatever operating system they may be using.
