WhatsApp on desktop to get voice, video calls next year

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Facebook-owned WhatsApp will be the latest messaging service to get voice and video call support on its desktop app. A company spokesperson shared the news with Reuters, but it isn't clear if it's going to try and compete against the likes of Zoom and Google Meet in the enterprise space.

WhatsApp has over two billion users, with many of them using the service for personal calls. In time for the holidays, some desktop users are getting the feature already on a trial basis. We don't have information about when the full rollout next year will be.

WhatsApp to debut disappearing messages this month

WhatsApp will soon offer the option to send disappearing messages. But its option will delete messages and files only after seven days. A spokesperson from the Facebook-owned messaging app reasoned, "We're starting with 7 days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren't permanent, while remaining practical so you don't forget what you were chatting about."

The feature will be available for individual and group chats. Admins for the group chats can enable the feature for the group. Disappearing messages also include pictures and videos shared, but as The Verge points out, people can take screenshots of the messages or copy them before they get erased.

The feature has to be enabled on a per group and contact basis. And when it fully rolls out, the option will be seen in each friend's contact section. It won't affect any of your older conversations. Instead, it will erase the new ones when the feature is enabled. All users can expect the feature to be available on their apps.

WhatsApp's new tool makes it easier to mass delete photos, videos

WhatsApp can autosave the images and videos you get on your phone. Before you know it, that'll eat up a fair amount of your device's storage. It might be a bit troublesome to pick out what you want to delete. Thankfully, the Facebook-owned messaging service has a new storage management tool that makes it easier to identify, select, and bulk delete files. It even groups together large files and media that have been forwarded many times so you can choose and mass delete these.

The tool also arranges files by size in descending order and shows you a preview of the media you have saved, so you don't accidentally delete files you want to keep. This tool is accessible through Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage. If you don't want to do this all the time, you can switch off the default autosave option. Head to Settings and switch off "Save to Camera Roll" or "Media visibility."

Source: Engadget

WhatsApp tests feature that suggest users use Messenger Rooms for video calls with many participants

As you may or may not know, WhatsApp video calls can now support up to eight people in one call. But if you want a lot more people, parent company Facebook has its solution: giving WhatsApp users the option to use Messenger Rooms, which supports up to 50 people in one call. WABetaInfo spotted the feature in the latest version of the WhatsApp Web Client after having found something similar in the beta version of the Android app, which strongly suggests Facebook is working on this integration.

The shortcut shows up in the paper clip menu as well as on the main menu of the web client. After clicking on it, it'll let you know that you will be redirected to Messenger Rooms. The app does also warn you that Messenger calls aren't end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp calls. According to The Next Web, the feature doesn't work yet, but if you're looking to host bigger WhatsApp group calls, this might be a good addition for you—as long as you're okay with the lack of encryption.