WhatsApp may soon become Zoom's next rival, as it is currently rolling out a revamped Windows client that adds eight-person video calls. Additionally, the desktop app will now allow users to make audio calls with up to 32 people at a time.
If this all sounds familiar, it's because these features have been around on Android and iOS for quite some time. It's part of a renewed effort by Meta to improve WhatsApp's desktop clients - opens in a new tab - to be more on par with the mobile app. Along the same lines, the user interface has also been redesigned to be more similar to the smartphone app and several internal changes have been made to improve linking between devices. Now devices will be able to connect to WhatsApp on Windows faster than before while unlocking new tools like link previews and stickers.
This upgrade may seem like a small amount compared to Zoom, which can accommodate up to 100 participants in a single meeting on its basic plan. However, the company says it plans to increase the number of people the app can accommodate in group calls. So it's quite possible that video calls on WhatsApp could one day match Zoom meetings in terms of numbers. Meta is certainly not afraid of enabling mass groups on its platform, as seen with the recent Communities feature.
community management
Speaking of communities, WhatsApp on smartphones received an update - opens in a new tab - earlier this week to help users manage their groups. Admins now have the ability to reject attendees. It's a pretty small but much-needed change that really should have been there from the start. Also, whenever you search for a contact's name, you'll see if they're both in the same community.
As for the future, Meta says that it recently unveiled a new beta for Android tablets and is working on a version for Mac desktops. Not much has been revealed, but according to a recent report from WABetaInfo, the latest Android beta ( opens in a new tab) introduces a new survey option that limits respondents to choosing only one option. For macOS, it's a total unknown. Although you may be connected to the upcoming "build native apps with Mac Catalyst (opens in a new tab)", which is currently in progress. We contacted Meta for more information. This story will be updated if we get any news.