WhatsApp Rolls Out Major Upgrade: New Features for Group Chats
Messaging giant Meta is launching a series of new features for WhatsApp group chats, allowing users to tag all members at once, conduct advanced polls, and switch devices mid-call.
The world's most popular messaging app, WhatsApp by Meta, announced on Tuesday that it is launching new updates for group chats.
As part of the new features, users can now set an end time for voting in polls, hide the names of voters, and edit the poll question for up to 15 minutes after publication.
In addition, a new @all tag allows sending a notification to all group members simultaneously. In groups with more than 32 participants, only group administrators can use this feature, and these notifications can be muted at any time via settings.
Likewise, it is now possible to open a new group chat with participants from an existing group with a single click, without adding each member separately. These updates will be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks.
These upgrades join a series of recent improvements to voice and video calls, aimed at making the platform more flexible for private users and groups.
Enhanced Call Functionality
Users can now make and receive voice and video calls directly through WhatsApp Web. The service includes features familiar from mobile use, such as screen sharing, reactions during calls, access to call history, and a favorites list.
Another innovation currently being implemented will allow users to switch between different devices during an active group call without disconnecting. For instance, a call can be started on a phone and continued on a computer with a single tap.
Furthermore, WhatsApp is adding a waiting room option for group calls. By creating a call link with entry approval enabled, new participants will not join automatically, but will wait for the call administrator's approval.
