WhatsApp is testing new calling improvements for iPhone users

WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing a new TestFlight build that makes changes to how calls work on iPhone.
Users can now join group calls after they started and more.

WhatsApp is testing some new changes to the way calls work on iPhone, with a new TestFlight build already in the hands of those who are lucky enough to be part of the limited beta group.

Top of the list of improvements is the ability to join in-progress group calls, as the folks at WABetaInfo note.

When can you join group calls? If you temporarily ignore to participate in a group call, and you open WhatsApp again after some time, if the group call is still ongoing, WhatsApp might present you an alert if you want to quickly join the call, without asking other participants to add you again. When there is a call you can join, you can find a "Tap to join" banner in the Calls tab and a "Join call" button in the group chat where the call is started.

New Whatsapp Call Interface (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

Another improvement is a new call interface that resembles that of FaceTime. There's even a new Ring button that will immediately call the other person for you.

All of this is now part of the latest beta for WhatsApp on iPhone. There's obviously no news of when any of this will make it into the version of WhatsApp that's in the App Store, but we can only hope that we won't be left waiting for too long!

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps available for those who want to be able to send and receive instant messages with people on Android. It's also a great option for voice and video calls, too.

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.