WhatsApp for Mac gets new app with support for group calling

WhatsApp on Tuesday announced it has introduced a new app for the Mac that will allow users to make group calls for the first time. If you use WhatsApp’s Mac app, you will now be able to make an audio call with up to 32 people in it and a video call with up to eight people joining you. In addition to support for group calling, the new app also has changes to the interface to accommodate call-related tools to make the experience better. The new app comes weeks after WhatsApp launched a revamped app for Windows that offers the same calling functionality to users who use the app on devices besides smartphones.

Meta-owned WhatsApp said that the new app for Mac has been redesigned so that it becomes familiar to Mac users, helping them get more done faster when using the app on a large screen. The new app also allows users to share files by easily dragging and dropping an item into a chat. It also lets users view more of the chat history, as compared to the previous version. The new WhatsApp for Mac app is compatible with Apple Silicon-powered Macs, including iMac, MacBooks, Mac Pros, Mac minis, and Mac Studio.

“As when using WhatsApp on any device, WhatsApp for Mac keeps your personal messages and calls private across devices with end-to-end encryption,” said WhatsApp in a blog post on Tuesday. That means that whatever conversations you have in these group audio and video calls will be private to the participants and not accessible to anyone, including WhatsApp itself. Besides, Meta’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg posted a video demonstrating how the features in the new WhatsApp for Mac app work on his broadcast channel on Instagram.

As part of the new calling experience, the new WhatsApp for Mac app also lets users see call history and the ability to join a group call after it has started. Users will also be able to opt for receiving incoming call notifications even when the app is closed so that you do not miss out on interesting or important conversations with your contacts when the app is not open on your Mac.