WhatsApp introduces web calling, plus new call features

Note: This article was first published on 29 July 2026.

Most of us probably already have the WhatsApp desktop app installed on our computers, but if you’re someone who tends to use it on a browser (me included) for one reason or another, there wasn’t a way to take or make calls.

This changes with the latest update, which introduces calling on WhatsApp Web with no app download required. The new Web Calling feature works with both audio and video calls, and functions less like a phone call over the web and more like a videoconferencing platform – think Zoom or Webex.

And that’s thanks to features like Waiting Room, which, as the name suggests, allows you to place people who join a call into a waiting room if your call has ‘Require approval to join” checked. Also introduced is QuickHD, which the company says will ensure that your video feed is immediately in high-resolution when you join a call.

WhatsApp has also added Noise Suppression, which it says can be managed through call settings anytime. You can now transfer your calls between your phone and WhatsApp Web/Desktop via Quick Transfer, so less excuse to drop a call when you’re on the way home, we suppose. 

Finally, all web calls are end-to-end encrypted. While there’s no time frame for when these updates will reach all users, WhatsApp says that the rollout has begun and will gradually reach everyone.

To tell if you’ve received the update, go to WhatsApp Web and click the call icon on the left sidebar, where you should see “Start call” and “New call link” buttons.

Source: WhatsApp