WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, is said to be introducing a new feature that allows users to initiate group calls with as many as 31 participants. Additionally, there are some minor enhancements being made to the calls tab on the Android version of the app. It’s worth noting that these updates are currently being tested by a select group of beta testers.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has implemented some minor adjustments to the calls tab. Specifically, the calls tab no longer displays call links. Instead, it simply indicates that users can make calls to one or more contacts. This change streamlines the user interface, making it simpler and potentially less cluttered. In addition, the floating action button was updated with a plus icon.
The report suggests that WhatsApp had already introduced the capability to conduct group calls with up to 32 participants in previous updates. However, there was an initial limitation where users could only select up to 15 contacts when initiating a group call. This new feature seems to be expanding that limit, allowing users to include more participants in their group calls, potentially up to 31 participants as mentioned earlier. This could be a welcomed enhancement for users who frequently engage in larger group conversations or conference calls through the platform.
With this update, WhatsApp users can now initiate large group calls more seamlessly. They have the option to immediately start a group call by selecting up to 32 participants, including the caller who initiated the call. This change removes the previous restriction that limited the number of contacts users could select for group calls, which could sometimes be restrictive and potentially confusing. This improvement makes it easier for users to organize and participate in larger group conversations without unnecessary limitations.
The feature allowing users to initiate group calls with up to 31 participants, as well as the minor enhancements to the calls tab, is currently accessible to a limited group of beta testers. According to the report, WhatsApp plans to gradually expand the availability of these features to more users in the coming weeks. This staged rollout is a common practice for many software updates, allowing developers to gather feedback and ensure the feature works smoothly before making it widely available to the entire user base.
WhatsApp is said to be introducing an “automatic security code verification” feature for end-to-end encryption, and it is currently being made available to a select group of beta testers on the Android platform. This feature is likely aimed at enhancing the security and ease of use for WhatsApp users by simplifying the process of verifying security codes, which are crucial for ensuring the privacy and security of their conversations. As with many updates, it will likely be tested by beta users before being rolled out more widely to the general user base.
With the “automatic security code verification” feature in WhatsApp, the app will attempt to verify whether messages are protected by end-to-end encryption automatically, without requiring any direct action or intervention from the user. This is likely designed to streamline the user experience and ensure that encrypted communication remains secure without users needing to manually verify security codes, which can sometimes be a cumbersome process. It’s a step towards making encryption more user-friendly and transparent in the app.
The process referred to as “Key Transparency” appears to be aimed at enhancing the overall security and privacy of users’ conversations on WhatsApp. It involves automatically verifying if messages are being transmitted over a secure, end-to-end encrypted connection. By implementing this feature, WhatsApp aims to ensure that users’ communications are secure without the need for manual security code verification, making the encryption process more transparent and user-friendly while maintaining high levels of privacy and security.
