WhatsApp is set to receive significant upgrades to its video call and audio capabilities. The popular instant messaging platform has announced several new features that could potentially make WhatsApp a great video conferencing tool.
A significant new feature is the ability to share screens with audio, allowing users to not only display their screens but also transmit the accompanying sound. This enhancement is especially useful for activities such as watching videos together or giving presentations that include audio.
WhatsApp is also raising the participant limit to 32 during a video call on all devices, encompassing both mobile and desktop platforms. This increase in capacity positions WhatsApp as a more viable choice for substantial virtual gatherings and meetings.
Additionally, WhatsApp is rolling out a “speaker spotlight” feature, which will automatically highlight the active speaker. This feature is designed to simplify the process of tracking who is talking, particularly in large group settings.
WhatsApp has also enhanced call quality on mobile devices with better noise and echo cancellation, ensuring clearer conversations in noisy environments. Furthermore, video calls will feature higher resolution for users with faster internet connections, while audio quality will be improved for all users, including those with older devices or poor network connectivity.
Other than these new features, WhatsApp also introduced the MLow (Meta Low) codec, which was created to improves audio quality especially for those on slow-speed connections.
Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) said that the MLow codec has “greatly enhanced audio quality on low-end devices while still ensuring calls are end-to-end encrypted.”
The company stated that these new updates will be gradually rolled out over the coming weeks.
