It looks like WhatsApp is all set to rollout the voice calling feature to users of its Android as well as iPhone app.
Following reports of the calling feature being included in WhatsApp’s new Android build (2.11.508), the app’s latest iOS update now introduces a calling button within the chat window.
So, if you are an iOS user, look for the voice calling button in your WhatsApp next to the contact person’s name and profile picture on top of the screen. Whatsapp currently uses the the iOS phone dialler to make the calls, but we expect that it will soon have the native internet calling active for the users of iOS app as well.
The latest changelog, for the iOS version of the app, does not indicate inclusion of any calling button. It has a note of offering support for Dynamic Type (Variable font sizes) throughout the app. The changelog also talks about the introduction of a quick camera button in chats, that helps in quickly inserting a recent camera roll picture.
Earlier, a Reddit user, pradnesh07, posted some screenshots and also a video showcasing the new interface of WhatsApp which offers voice calling facility. As per the user, the feature is being used on his Nexus 5 which runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The screenshots suggest that a separate screen will appear for dialing a voice call via WhatsApp, along with separate screens for call logs and ongoing calls. The user has added that the voice calling feature is offered in WhatsApp’s recent build, 2.11.508, and users will need to download the .apk file and side-load the app until it’s updated on the Play Store.
WhatsApp has not officially made any announcement of rolling out any such feature so far. We assume that the makers are still testing the feature with some select users. With the voice calling feature coming in, WhatsApp will directly compete with the likes of WeChat, Viber and Line, that allow the users to make voice calls, apart from sending text messages.
