WhatsApp is rolling out a revamped Windows client that includes eight-person video calls, making it a potential rival to Zoom. The desktop app now allows users to host audio calls with up to 32 people simultaneously, a feature available on Android and iOS for some time.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, is improving the app's desktop clients to align with the mobile app. The user interface has been redesigned to look similar to the smartphone app. Under-the-hood changes have been made to enhance multi-device linking, enabling devices to connect to WhatsApp on Windows more quickly and unlock new tools such as link previews and stickers. The company plans to increase the limit of people the app can host in group calls, and it recently introduced the Communities feature, which allows for massive groups.
In addition, WhatsApp on smartphones has been updated to help users manage their groups, with admins now able to reject entrants and contacts able to see if they are in the same community. A beta for Android tablets has been introduced, and Meta is working on one for Mac desktops. A new toggle for polls limits participants to making just one choice available on the Android beta. The future of macOS is unknown, but it could be connected to the upcoming "native app build with Mac Catalyst" in the works.