WhatsApp For Mac Gets A Facelift, Support For Group Calling
The messaging service WhatsApp has been pretty barebones on Mac and Windows since its inception. Basically, the only thing you could do with the app is send messages and make one-on-one calls, giving it fewer features than even its iOS counterpart. In March, WhatsApp gave the Windows app a facelift, and now the MacOS version is getting the same treatment.
The new WhatsApp update for MacOS notably brings group calling. Now, users can call up to eight people on video calls, and 32 for audio calls. Although this is a fraction of the 100-person meetings that Zoom supports, it will benefit those who use WhatsApp as their primary communication service.
Many choose this service over apps like Zoom because it has end-to-end encryption and cross-platform communication. Thanks to the redesign, there is another reason to choose WhatsApp over its competitors, as a few more features were added that enhance the WhatsApp experience on Apple hardware.
Some new features sure to entice MacOS users
The look of the app has been completely redesigned as well. Now, WhatsApp for Mac is optimized for a big screen, providing a better visual experience. If the new Mac app is implemented like the Windows app, as the company claims, it also now benefits from improved synching across devices and faster device linking. Additionally, it now supports link previews and stickers.
Some more notable features this redesign provides are a call history screen, and the ability to receive call notifications when the app is closed. The latter will be useful for those who don't want the app hogging up their Mac's resources, but don't want to miss any important incoming calls because WhatsApp is closed.
Another nifty addition is that users can now drag and drop files into chats, making an easier file sharing experience. Additionally, suppose a video chat has already started, but you missed the call: In that case, you won't need to reinitialize the call anymore, as now there is a way to join oncoming calls without troubling everyone — similar to the way Discord handles group calls.
You can test the new WhatsApp for Mac by downloading it from the developer's website. Currently, there is no way to get the updated version on the App Store, but the app's developers note that it is arriving soon.