Facebook-owned WhatsApp has finally started rolling out the much-awaited video-calling feature across platforms — Android, iOS and Windows. The feature is hitting all the three major mobile operating systems starting today. However, since the roll out is being done in a phased manner, it may take sometime to reach users globally.
To make a video call, users simply need to click on the calling button at the top right corner inside the chat window and choose between ‘Voice’ and ‘Video’ calling options. Another point to remember here is that to make a video call, both the parties should have the latest version of the WhatsApp.
The feature also allows users to switch from front camera to rear camera during a call as well as ‘mute the call’. In addition, users will also get notifications in case they miss a call. To call back, they simply need to tap on the same menu.
With the introduction of video calling, WhatsApp catches up with rival offerings like Microsoft’s Skype, Apple’s FaceTime, Google’s Duo and its own sibling Facebook Messenger. The company also claimed that video calls made on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp recently rolled out another update for iOS and Android users, which brings the key features of Snapchat and Instagram Stories to the messaging app. The update allows WhatsApp users to draw and add emojis to an image or a video. Users can also choose any image or video in their smartphone’s library and doodle on it with different brush sizes and font styles, something that has been there on Snapchat and Instagram Stories for a while.