It is no longer news that WhatsApp is already working on multi-device support. What could be new is that the app is about to roll out a new update that will enable WhatsApp web to work without a connected phone.
What that means is that you can chat with your friends on WhatsApp web even when your device is not connected. According to WABetaInfo, you can use your WhatsApp account on multiple devices at the same time. This does not require an active internet connection on the main device.
According to the screenshot provided by the tracker, up to four people will be able to use the chat service at the same time. Other features expected to roll out along the multi-device update include archiving and muting chats from a companion device, deleting messages and chats from a companion device, and calling from WhatsApp on desktop.
We will definitely bring you an update once we have one on this and other upcoming features. That said, feel free to send us a feedback on this and other topics we have covered on this news site.
In other WhatsApp news, the chat app on New Year Eve recorded more than 1.4 billion audio and video calls. This unarguably the most ever calls in a single day since the launch of audio and video calls a couple of years ago on the app. According to a Facebook post, WhatsApp calling increased over 50 percent compared to the same day in 2019.
Considering we are in a pandemic and most people spend their time at home these days, the record-breaking figure did not come as a surprise. Governments all over the world have been forced to introduce different lockdown and restriction models to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
As a matter of fact, videoconferencing apps including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and the likes have all experienced a jump in terms of usage in the last one year. It will, however, be interesting to see what the figure from those apps would look like considering what WhatsApp just released.
On Messenger, Facebook said “New Year’s Eve 2020 was the biggest day ever for Messenger group video calls (3+ people) in the US, with nearly 2X more group video calls on NYE compared to the average day.”
Last April, WhatsApp increased the number of people that can actively take part in group calls. Participants will be able to have group voice and video calls with up to eight people on WhatsApp. The company reiterated in a blog post announcing the update that calls will be made via its secured end-to-end encryption.
