WhatsApp now supports calls on its web app

For years, WhatsApp calls have been supported only on the smartphone app or Meta’s native desktop app. Now Meta is letting users make and receive audio and video calls directly inside WhatsApp for Web, closing one of the last functionality gaps between the browser version and the standalone apps. The web interface gets a dedicated Calls tab that houses call history and favorites, matching the smartphone and desktop layout, and it carries over the desktop app’s call features, including screen-sharing and reactions.

WhatsApp is pairing the web rollout with several other calling updates. Users can now transfer a call from one device to another mid-conversation without hanging up — so a call that started on the desktop app or the web can continue on a phone without interruption. The company is also introducing waiting rooms for group calls. When creating a call link, hosts can turn on a “Require approval to join” option, which lets them decide when to let a participant in, or remove them once they’re in the room. WhatsApp frames this as useful for people who host work calls on the platform.

Two smaller upgrades round out the release. Background noise suppression filters out ambient sound in loud environments, and video calls will begin streaming in high-definition within the first few seconds of connecting — previously, calls sometimes took a few seconds to switch over to HD.

The rollout comes soon after WhatsApp opened reservations for usernames. Once that feature is live, people will be able to use their username to call other users across platforms, rather than relying only on a phone number.

Why it matters

Full calling parity between WhatsApp’s web and mobile apps removes one of the last reasons professionals had to switch back to their phones, and waiting rooms give the platform a more credible pitch for hosting work calls.