WhatsApp adds screen sharing, more participants on video calls

WhatsApp for Windows and Mac are extensions of the WhatsApp account on your phone. The messages you send and receive are synced between your phone and computer, and you can see your messages across all devices. Download and install WhatsApp on your computer and you’ll also be able to make voice and video calls, and share files with your contacts from your PC and Mac.

Can I use WhatsApp on my computer and phone at the same time?

Yes, WhatsApp web and desktop applications are extensions of the WhatsApp account on your phone. The messages you send and receive are synced, and you can see your messages on all devices seamlessly. You can use up to four linked devices and one phone at a time.

What happens if my phone is offline?

You only need your phone to be online when you register WhatsApp for the first time or pair new devices. After signing up, your phone doesn’t need to stay online to use WhatsApp on linked devices, but your linked devices will go offline if you don’t use your phone for more than 14 days.

Why use WhatsApp on PC/Mac?

Using WhatsApp on a desktop computer is useful for a variety of reasons. The ability to have a larger screen for messaging, the ability to multitask while still being able to message on WhatsApp, and the ability to send and receive messages even when your phone is not nearby are some of the key benefits. Additionally, it can be more convenient to type on a physical keyboard rather than a small touch screen.

Can I make video calls using WhatsApp Desktop?

Yes, you can make free voice and video calls on WhatsApp desktop using your laptop/PC webcam.

Is WhatsApp secure?

WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption as a default for all private communication, this includes messages and calls, group and one-on-one chats as well as any photos or files you send.

However, WhatsApp is owned by Facebook which makes many wonder about privacy. More security-conscious users often prefer to use Signal or Telegram for sharing personal or sensitive information.

You can use up to four linked devices and one phone at a time. Each linked device connects to WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption.

Your phone doesn’t need to stay online to use WhatsApp on linked devices, but your linked devices will be logged out if you don’t use your phone for over 14 days.

WhatsApp is available for Android and iPhone / iOS.

Features

Keep the Conversation Going

With WhatsApp Desktop, you can seamlessly sync all of your chats to your computer so that you can chat on whatever device is most convenient for you.

Security by Default

Some of your most personal moments are shared on WhatsApp, which is why we built end-to-end encryption into the latest versions of our app. When end-to-end encrypted, your messages and calls are secured so only you and the person you’re communicating with can read or listen to them, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp.

Desktop calling

You can make free voice and video calls to your contacts on WhatsApp Desktop if you have the app installed on your computer.

What’s New

Windows updated to 2.2422.7.0
macOS version updated to 2.24.10.80
macOS beta version updated to 2.24.11.82

Better calling across desktop and mobile

Since we brought Calling to WhatsApp back in 2015, we’ve continued to improve it with the introduction of group calls, video calls, and multi-platform support.

Today we have several updates that will make calls across your devices even bigger and better, rolling out over the next few weeks:

Screen sharing with audio: Ideal for watching videos together, now when you share your screen, you can share your audio too
More participants: Now you can have up to 32 people on a video call across all your devices
Speaker spotlight: Easily see who’s talking with the speaker automatically highlighted and appearing first on screen

We also remain relentlessly focused on audio and video quality, for clearer calls no matter where you are. We recently launched MLow codec which improves call reliability. Calls made on mobile devices benefit from improved noise and echo cancellation, making it easier to have calls in noisy environments, and video calls have higher resolution for those with faster connections. Audio is crisper overall, even if you have poor network connectivity or are using an older device. You can read more about the MLow codec and listen to the difference in audio quality here.

We’ll continue making improvements to calling on WhatsApp so you can make the best quality, private calls wherever you are in the world.

Previous Release Notes:

You can edit any message up to 15 minutes after sending, and it’ll update for everyone in the chat. Edited messages will have the word “edited” next to the timestamp.

If you aren’t on the latest version of WhatsApp you’ll see, “This message was edited for everyone in this chat on the latest version of WhatsApp.” Update your app to see edited messages.

Select a message
Then click Menu (three dots)> Edit message.
Edit your message.
Click the checkmark when you’re finished with your update.

Note:

There is a 15 minute time limit for editing messages.
Editing a message won’t send a new chat notification to people in your chat.
You can’t edit photos, videos, or other types of media.

The latest WhatsApp beta introduces the ability to add several accounts to your phone. Open the app, go to Settings> Account and you will see the new “Add account” button.

New WhatsApp app for Mac; now with group calling

Earlier this year, we introduced a new WhatsApp app for Windows desktop, and we’re now bringing the same improved experience to Mac users.

With the new WhatsApp app for Mac, you can now make group calls from your Mac for the first time, connecting with up to 8 people on video calls and up to 32 people on audio calls. Now you can join a group call after it’s started, see your call history and choose to receive incoming call notifications even when the app is closed.

The app is redesigned to be familiar to Mac users, helping you get more done faster when using WhatsApp on a large screen. You can now share files by easily dragging and dropping into a chat, and can view more of your chat history.

As when using WhatsApp on any device, WhatsApp for Mac keeps your personal messages and calls private across devices with end-to-end encryption.

Introducing Instant Video Messages

Voice messages on WhatsApp changed the way people communicate by providing a quick and secure way to share your voice. We’re excited to build on this feature with new instant video messages. Now you can record and share short personal videos directly in the chat.

Video messages are a real-time way to respond to chats with whatever you want to say and show in 60 seconds. We think these will be a fun way to share moments with all the emotion that comes from video, whether it’s wishing someone a happy birthday, laughing at a joke, or bringing good news.

Sending a video message is as simple as sending a voice message. Just tap to switch to video mode, and hold to record the video. You can also swipe up to lock and record the video hands-free. Videos will play automatically on mute when opened in a chat, and tapping on the video will start the sound. Video messages are protected with end-to-end encryption to keep your messages secure.

Video messages have begun rolling out and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

The WhatsApp app on your phone (look for WhatsApp Web menu under Settings).

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