WhatsApp adds 32-person voice calls, new interface, and more

WhatsApp message thread on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp has been updated to version 22.9.80 and can be downloaded from the App Store.
The new WhatsApp update includes support for voice calls with up to 32 people.
New interface changes include updated audio message bubbles and more.

WhatsApp users can now take advantage of voice calls with as many as 32 people involved according to recent App Store release notes. The new update also adds a new-look interface and more.

Those who regularly use WhatsApp for voice calls can now involve up to 32 people while enjoying "an updated interface with a social audio layout, speaker highlight, and waveforms." Newly updated voice message bubbles and improvements to the way people access media in the gallery are also called out in the App Store's release notes.

Group voice calls now support up to 32 participants, and include an updated interface with a social audio layout, speaker highlight, and waveforms.
Updated designs for voice message bubbles and info screens for contacts and groups.
Small improvements such as accessing your favorited media in gallery.

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps for staying in touch with people around the world, especially if they use Android devices or Windows PC machines and don't have access to iMessage. The app offers instant messaging with end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages to ensure privacy, too.

Those who already have WhatsApp installed can get the update via the App Store now. Everyone else can download it afresh for free right now. WhatsApp is available on the Mac as well as the web for those who would prefer that route as well.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.