[UPDATE: Live For Stable Version] Group Audio & Video Calls Are Rolling Out On WhatsApp Beta For Android

UPDATE

Group video and audio calls are now live for the stable version. The update is now rolling out for everyone, allowing 4 persons to converse over a single call. The interface is the same as it was in the beta version. As it is now rolling out in stable channel, one can expect the feature to be bugless. Also, for those concerned with the privacy of this feature, the company has stated that these calls are encrypted.

END OF UPDATE

Group calls is a feature that almost every messaging app has these days. Up until now, WhatsApp didn't have it. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had shown group calls on WhatsApp at this year's F8 conference. Zuckerberg had said that the feature will be available in coming months on the messaging platform, and the feature went live for iOS recently. Now group calls are going live for Android users via a server-side update.

The users who received the feature claimed to be using the latest WhatsApp beta (version 2.18.162). It's no guarantee that you will get this feature if you use the latest beta version, but using it can at least grab you the chances of having it first. 

It's straightforward to make a group call. Firstly, you have to call one person and then tap on the 'Add Participant/Contact' icon at the top right corner of the call screen. You will then be asked to choose the contact(s) you would like to add to the group call. Once the selection is complete, the chosen contacts will be added to the group call. In the other case, when you're being invited to a group call, you will see the profile pictures of the people who are already a part of the call as icons and you can decide to either answer or reject the call.

For now, there can only be four participants in a group call. As mentioned before, this feature is being rolled out through a server-side update, so you may or may not be able to get this feature. However, to brighten your chances of getting group calls, we would recommend you to install the latest beta version. You can install the beta either by using its APK or opting in for WhatsApp's beta testing program on the Play Store.

Source: Android Police

Rajat Kapoor

Rajat Kapoor is a self confessed tech geek. Always up to date with what's going on in the tech world, he is currently pursuing MCA and prefers Android over iOS. You will see his articles here and we do hope that you find them useful and informational.