The Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has finally rolled out its much-awaited feature of voice and video calling for the desktop version of the app recently. As we know, the instant messaging app keeps updating its features to provide users with seamless functioning, it has also rolled out several other features along with the new voice and video calling feature on WhatsApp Web. 

The new WhatsApp feature will work in both portrait and landscape orientations, and the video and voice calls appear in a separate resizable window. As mentioned, voice and video calls on WhatsApp Desktop are end-to-end encrypted. In order to use the new video calling feature, users will have to install the WhatsApp desktop app on either a Mac or PC, which requires that you already be a WhatsApp user on mobile. After installing the desktop app (from the WhatsApp website), users need to scan a QR code to log in. Once logged in, users need to open a chat, where they will see two new buttons for voice call (telephone receiver icon) and video call (video camera icon). Clicking on either will initiate a voice call or a video call with the selected contact.

Currently, voice and video calling is only available for one-to-one chats and will later come to group chats. On mobile, WhatsApp group chats support up to eight people during a single voice or video call.

Apart from the voice and video call support on WhatsApp Web, the company has also added the feature of disabling read receipts for voice messages sent on individual chats. WhatsApp users will now be able to switch off the read receipts that notify the sender of whether the recipient has listened to the audio or not. To avail this feature, a user needs to go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy.

Another latest feature added by WhatsApp recently is that it now allows you to mute videos before sharing it as your WhatsApp status or sending it to other chats. One can access the feature from the video editing screen when one shares a video with another contact. The feature is currently available only on the Android version of the app.

Recently, the app has also announced the rollout of a new face or fingering unlock feature while linking the device. In order to link WhatsApp Web or Desktop to the WhatsApp account, users need to use their face or fingerprint unlock on their phones, before scanning a QR code from the phone to link their device.