WhatsApp plans to launch group "voice chats" for up to 32 people

Delhi : A "voice waveform" indicator (top right) indicates that a user has turned on the feature. Up to 32 users can join a voice conversation at once thanks to a new feature that WhatsApp is rolling out for groups called "voice chats."

According to WhatsApp news aggregator WABetaInfo, the capability is presently being tested with a small group of beta testers and will be made available to more users in the coming days.

How do 'voice chat' function?

Voice chats are demonstrated in a screenshot posted by WABetaInfo. Users will see a "voice waveform" icon (top right, left of three dots) if voice chats have been enabled for them, as demonstrated in the screenshot attached; touching on this icon will initiate the conversation and a special interface will appear.

Only specific groups, often those with more than 32 members, have access to the capability. However, a chat can only have 32 participants at once. Additionally, the discussion will finish automatically if no one enters after 60 minutes.

'Voice chat' features

A new voice conversation is started in the group without each participant's phone ringing, according to WABetaInfo, who is alerted instead by a silent push notice. Additionally, because the discussions are end-to-end encrypted, only other group members can hear what is said during a call.