WhatsApp introduces Call Links to invite up to 32 people to a group call
WhatsApp Messenger has announced a new feature called Call Links. The option will allow users to invite other people to join a group call.
WhatsApp Call Links
To use it, tap the Calls tab in the app, and you should see an option at the top of the screen that says "Create Call Link". Select it, and WhatsApp will create a link that you can send to others via chat, to invite them to a group call. Recipients just need to tap the Join call button to accept the invite. It can be useful in case you forget to add someone to the call, or if a friend comes online during a call that is in progress, and wants to join in on the conversation.
Image courtesy: WhatsApp
The app's video calling option only allows 8 participants, but this is changing. To recall, the Meta-owned instant messaging and VOIP platform had revealed in April this year, that it is working on adding support for 32 person audio calls in its app. And now, Meta founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has shared a post on his Facebook page to announce that WhatsApp Call Links will support up to 32 users per call.
Call links are not limited to existing members in a group, you may also share these call links with people who are not in your contacts. That means the new feature is slightly different from the "Add Participant" option that is available from an ongoing voice call or video call screen.
The invite system is not restricted to ongoing calls, so you can choose to send out a call link to your friends to schedule a meeting for later, as seen in the above screenshot, and confirmed by the company's Twitter handle. The messaging service did not reveal more details about the new feature, but Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, said that Call Links works with both video, and audio calls. Group calls are encrypted like regular calls, but are only supported on mobile devices, since group calling is not available in WhatsApp Desktop.
TechCrunch reports that WhatsApp Call Links will expire after 90 days of inactivity, that is a very generous limitation. While it is new to WhatsApp, call links have been available in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Google Meet, for a while. Zoom allows up to 100 attendees per call, but has a 40-minute time limit for free accounts. Google Meet is quite similar, with a 60-minute limit for free users. Since WhatsApp is a free-to-use service, it may not impose a time limit cap for group calls, and this could draw in more users to the platform.
WhatsApp Call Links are not available for users yet, Zuckerberg and Cathcart had mentioned that it would begin rolling out this week, likely being added via an app update.
WhatsApp has been busy lately, it recently shipped a native UWP version for Windows, and is working on a native app for macOS. The messaging platform allows you to delete messages 2 days after you send them, leave groups without alerting other members.
What are your thoughts on WhatsApp Call Links?
Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.