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IT’S TAKEN A WHILE for it to arrive, but WhatsApp has begun rolling out voice calling for its app, starting with its Android version.
This is not to be confused with the call version already on WhatsApp which allowed you to switch to your service provider. Instead, the feature now allows you to make calls using your WiFi or 3G/4G connection similar to Viber and FaceTime.
The catch is for now, it’s only available for Android users. iPhone users will be left waiting a little while longer as WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton said that it would be arriving for these devices in a couple of weeks.
After iOS, the team will roll out the feature to Windows Phone and Blackberry devices.
The new update breaks up WhatsApp into three main tabs, calls, messages and contacts and the service works similarly to rivals like Viber, Skype and FaceTime. For now, you can only call those who also have Android devices with the update, but that will change over time.
WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum announced the feature this time last year, but the beta version only appeared last month. At that point, the only way you could access it was to either be part of an invitation-only list or download the APK file on its site, and install it that way.
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Dammit, I use whatsapp so I don’t have to talk to people.
Android has left Apple for dead….
Apple fan boys will be shock over this.
Sure you’re getting watsapp calls first, but realistically you’re still gunna look like a malnourished peasant, on your brick, poor person android phone
Who would want to steal such an identity, BG, but it happens all too easily…
So sad BG – that you think a phone defines you….
HTC one, best phone on the market
I presume WhatsApp has just implemented the Facebook call software, but skinned it differently? Seeing as Facebook owns WhatsApp I can’t imagine they’d waste money writing entirely new software.
You’re assuming that the two pieces of software were compatible. In many cases, forcing a system built for one piece of software into another software can be more costly in terms of development and post-development bug fixing time than building a new system.
Surely this is an April fools. Who releases anything on android first.
This is not April Fool as I ve that functionality on my phone since 4weeks now.
What’s with the American style article headline? ‘so you know you can do this now right?’
Well, it’s like, Oh My God, I literally died dead when my Mom told me about this.
Well done WhatsApp. You are now offering what Viber has been offering for the past five years.
And Viber was a blatant rip-off of Alexander Graham-Bell’s original app.
And Skype long before that!
But I don’t find viber very good at all. It’s just not nice to use imo
Bye viber
Can we talk about the lollipop update to android OS being 100% USELESS.
Mine works fine.
I can’t even get lollipop update for my Samsung Galaxy s5 with tesco mobile?
There’s your problem…tesco mobile!
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