The new voice chatfeature is less disruptive than the current group chart feature. Unlike the group chat feature that rings every member in a group, the voice chat will be started quietly without tinging the receiver.Instead of a ringing, there will be a notification and an in-chat bubble that will allow users to join the group.
Furthermore, voice chats will allow users to continue to use the app, that is, to instantly talk live with members of a group chat while still being able to message in the group.
The feature will allow users to unmute, hang up or message the group without leaving the voice chat by accessing the call controls at the top of the chat. Voice chats on WhatsApp is similar to the functions on Discord, Telegram and Slack.
How to start a voice chat
To start a voice chat, users should:
- Open the group chat you want to start a voice chat with.
- Tap the wave icon in the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap Start Voice Chat.
- To leave a voice chat, tap X.
The company is rolling out voice chats globally to large groups of 33 to 128 people. This feature is only available on the primary device and the voice chats are end-to-end encrypted by default.
Additionally, group members not in the voice chat can see the profiles of those in the voice chat from the chat header and the Calls tab.