Due to coronavirus and the war against fake news, WhatsApp has recently introduced some new features and changes, for example the possibility to search your messages on the web, in order to verify if it contains fake news (a very growing phenomenon during this period), and videos sent to your status decreased to 15 seconds in India.
WhatsApp is continuing to work on new features, and today we have a good news!
- You need to update your WhatsApp version to the most recent Android and iOS beta updates, in order to be able to create a call with more than 4 participants.
- If you have already updated but you don’t see the feature, you can consider to back up your chat history and reinstall WhatsApp, if you don’t want to wait more.
Every time you reinstall WhatsApp, the most updated configurations from the server are downloaded, enabling the feature for you.
WhatsApp has recently applied some changes about the Call button in groups. If you were in a small group with 4 participants, you can directly start a call without choosing the participants, because all participants will be automatically added in the call.
We've made it easier than ever to start a group call from WhatsApp for groups of 4 or less. From your group chat tap the video or voice call icon to directly start a call with everyone in the chat! 🙌
— WhatsApp Inc. (@WhatsApp) April 7, 2020
From the first days of April, WhatsApp was testing a new feature that allows to add more than 4 participants in a call. Their test included to adjust the UI to allow to see more participants.
Today WhatsApp is finally ready to roll out the possibility to add 8 participants in a group voice or video call, for everyone having the latest iOS and Android beta update installed.
Precisely, you need to install the 2.20.50.25 iOS beta update from TestFlight and the 2.20.133 beta from Google Play.
Other participants need to be on the same versions, otherwise they cannot be added in the group call.
If you want to do a group voice or video call, you have two ways:
- Open a group and tap the Call button: if the group has a number of participants higher than the old limit (4) in a call, WhatsApp will ask which contacts you wish to call to, otherwise the call will be directly started.
Group participants that aren’t saved in your address book won’t be added in the call. - Open the Calls tab, tap the Call button, then select New group call: here you can select which contacts to call.
NOTE: if the feature isn’t available for you (and you have also reinstalled WhatsApp), don’t worry: WhatsApp is gradually rolling out it, and in the next hours you should be able to receive the activation from the server.
Thanks to the new limit, you can keep in touch with your family and friends better.
This is one of the best decision taken by WhatsApp: we can stay safe at home, but we can meet virtually more people we love using WhatsApp. WhatsApp was able to push a new feature very quickly to meet the needs of the user.
WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted, so WhatsApp, Facebook and third parties can’t listen to them. Enjoy with the new limit!
Let us know on Twitter if you like this feature and read our next announcements on our Telegram Channel!
WABetaInfo has a Discord Server about WhatsApp, where you can chat, give advice, ask for help to other participants and you can receive my announcements quickly!