The WhatsApp desktop app for Mac and PC receives voice and video calls today, the company announced, offering end-to-end encrypted calls to other WhatsApp users on both computers and mobile devices .
Voice and video calling for WhatsApp is not a new one: the mobile apps for Android and iOS already offer the feature, and WhatsApp started rolling out the desktop call feature to a small group of users at the end of last year. But today’s release means that the feature is now available with all WhatsApp users on desktop, making calling feature more ubiquitous across all WhatsApp devices.
And like the video call feature, the new desktop call promises the same end-to-end encryption – meaning WhatsApp and Facebook can’t see or hear your calls.
The most required feature, at least for starters, is that the desktop app only supports one-to-one calling, not group calls. WhatsApp promises to expand to include support for group voice and video calls down the line, though it has not been said when that will be.
To use the new video calling feature, you need to install the WhatsApp desktop app on either Mac or PC, which requires you to already have a WhatsApp user on a mobile phone. Once you have installed the app on your computer, users will then scan a QR code to log in to the desktop app, after which they will be able to download the version. use a desktop of WhatsApp with their default account.