WhatsApp iOS App: Update Allows Free Calling From the App
With the latest iOS, users will be able to use WhatsApp's recently updated iPhone app to make calls, according to Forbes.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp released the same feature to the Android app. The feature allows WhatsApp users to make phone calls using their phone's Internet connection instead of their cell phone minutes.
The WhatsApp Calling feature is similar to the features offered by Skype and Apple's FaceTime.
"Call your friends and family using WhatsApp for free, even if they're in another country. WhatsApp calls uses your phone's Internet connection rather than your cellular plan's voice minutes," WhatsApp said in its app update description.
Although the app update will be available to all iOS devices soon, WhatsApp is taking its time rolling out the feature. Within the next few weeks, all iOS users should be able to use WhatsApp Calling.
The latest version of WhatsApp is version 2.12.1. It will include an iOS 8 share extension, a quick camera button for use inside chats, the ability to edit users' contacts right from WhatsApp and an option to send multiple videos at once. Users will be able to crop and edit videos prior to sending them. The share extension will allow users to share links, photos and videos from other apps.
WhatsApp Calling will work through push notifications. When a user has an incoming call they will receive an alert saying that a call is coming in from WhatsApp telling them who the call is. Once the call is answered, the user can mute the caller or user speakerphone to talk to them. Users will be able to send messages to the caller from the app as well. The iOS version of WhatsApp Calling will likely be similar to the Android version and a menu showing all of the outgoing, incoming and missed calls will be shown.
WhatsApp started out as a group text messaging app in 2009. Since then it has grown to one of the most popular chat apps with 800 million users. In 2014, Facebook purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion. WhatsApp now has more users than every other messaging app, including Facebook's Messenger.
To learn about how to update WhatsApp, visit the FAQ page from WhatsApp.
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