WhatsApp now lets you join group calls that already started

WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is now letting users join group calls that are already underway.
A new call screen will show users a list of people who are already in the call.

Messaging platform WhatsApp has announced a new feature that allows users to join group calls even after they have started. A new call screen will also show users a list of people who are already in the call, too.

Announced via blog post, the change comes at a time where the "popularity of group calls continues to grow," but it isn't always possible to join a call at the time it's created. For those instances, WhatsApp now makes it possible for people to join a call mid-flow.

Today we're introducing the ability to join a group call, even after it's started. Joinable calls reduce the burden of answering a group call as it starts, and brings the spontaneity and ease of in-person conversations to group calling on WhatsApp.

Alongside the new feature, WhatsApp is also adding a new call screen that will show users a list of people who are already on the call — allowing them to decide whether they really want to join or not.

We've also created a call info screen so you can see who is already on the call, and who has been invited but not yet joined. And, if you hit 'Ignore' you can join later from the calls tab in WhatsApp.

WhatsApp was already one of the best iPhone apps for video calling and this new change only cements its place towards the top of the pile. You can download WhatsApp from the App Store for free right now.

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.