WhatsApp on Monday announced it is expanding its joinable calls feature through integration to group chats. This feature will allow users in a group join an ongoing group call after it has begun. Now if someone in your group misses a call when the phone rings, they can still join whenever they like. There are times when you have to leave a call in between and later you don’t get the option to re-join the same call on WhatsApp. You can also drop off and re-join anytime if the call is still ongoing. Users will now see a dedicated button near the group chat icon. The call can be joined directly from the group chat window.
“Today we are enhancing the experience of the joinable call through integration to group chats. So, now group calls are contextual to your group chats and you can effortlessly join them right from the chat tab. With group calling growing in popularity, integrating joinable calls gives WhatsApp users a new spontaneous way to connect with their family and friends groups,” WhatsApp said in a statement.
The notification will say the name of the group instead of the names of the participants. Only people who are part of the group will be able join the call. The messenger platform seems to have taken a cue from Twitter’s Space and Clubhouse that allows users to quickly join a discussion. Users see the details of ongoing Spaces at the top of their Twitter feed. Similarly, the WhatsApp app, on opening, will show which groups have ongoing calls.
“We are making it easier to connect spontaneously with your groups. Join ongoing calls with your groups anytime, effortlessly and directly from the chat view with one click,” it said.
