WhatsApp to roll out shareable links for group calls

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WhatsApp is rolling out call links beginning this week. Like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, WhatsApp users can now create a call link and share them friends and family to join the video call. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said that it will soon test secure encrypted video calling for up to 32 people.

According to TechCrunch, the call links feature on WhatsApp was first rolled out to a select group of users in April this year. The link will also expire after 90 days of inactivity and if the link is sent to non-WhatsApp users, they will be redirected to download the app.

This comes a few months after WhatsApp announced its Communities features to bring separate groups under one umbrella. This allows users to receive updates sent to the entire Community and organise smaller discussion groups with ease. Some of the features include emoji reactions, supporting files up to 2GB, one-tap voice calling for up to 32 people, and announcement messages by admins.

Zuckerberg said previously that he expects Communities to be "an important evolution" for WhatsApp and online communication overall. This tool also offers WhatsApp the opportunity to rival Teams, Slack, and Skype. WhatsApp spokesperson also told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE previously that while conversations on the platform are one-to-one or in small group with families and close friends, close-knit groups such as schools, local clubs, and even businesses also want and need to have secure and private conversations.

While WhatsApp's plan might be to rival other communication platforms, Aiken Digital's GM for Singapore and Malaysia, Kenneth Chiew, said previously that WhatsApp will still remain as the popular choice among users for personal communications and for them to engage with brands.

Also, while WhatsApp is adding these new features to beef up its presence in the communications space, MD of Mediabrands Content Studio and Ensemble Worldwide, Phang Mei Jeng, said other chat apps will still have their own place in the ecosystem of communication. The reason is, the collaborative features available on those apps are seamlessly built in and primarily improve work efficiencies. Those apps also offer an easier way to trace conversations, with better organisation of files and folders.

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