WhatsApp free calls are now available on the latest APK version of the app.
After waiting for ages, Android users of this instant messaging application can now enjoy making free voice calls.
WhatsApp is already a leading provider of instant messaging services across the globe, boasting a massive user base of more than 700 million people over the same area. This is no joke considering the fact that there are other players in the industry offering far better services than what WhatsApp has been offering its users all along. Applications like WeChat, Line and Viber were established after the establishment of WhatsApp. However, all of these apps have managed to edge WhatsApp as far as voice and video calling are concerned.
WhatsApp voice calls available for Android Lollipop and KitKat users
WhatsApp voice calls have been the missing ingredient in the WhatsApp’s recipe and now that it has been availed for Android Lollipop users, it is a huge step towards the app becoming an undisputed leading provider of VoIP services. WhatsApp itself has not released any official statement about the availability of this feature. However, the fact that quite a number of Android Lollipop users have reported it is a clear indicator that the feature might be out before the start of April.
As noted above, WhatsApp is a leading provider of instant messaging services and it has managed to reach huge figures despite the limited number of services it offered users. Now that the voice calling feature is available, the gap between WhatsApp and other apps like Viber, WeChat and Line will probably be even bigger. This is because most people that make use of these apps mostly do it as a substitute to WhatsApp due to its past inability to offer voice calls.
This year has been a good year for WhatsApp. The company has seen immense growth, especially since the Facebook takeover and as it stands, users of this application can now enjoy having their conversations on PCs, unlike in the past where they were restricted to mobile phones only. Using WhatsApp Web, messages from WhatsApp contacts can be received on a desktop and replied to from the same end, which is a huge convenience for those who spend long hours on their PCs.
WhatsApp voice calling feature to be released in stages
It has been noted above that WhatsApp has more than 700 million users spread across the globe. Taking this into consideration, it is not possible for the company to roll out updates to the whole community in a single phase for all devices. It is for this reason the company has decided to avail the WhatsApp voice calling update for a section of its users starting with users of the latest version of the Android Lollipop OS. Users of the older Android KitKat can get this voice calling feature by downloading the latest WhatsApp APK 2.11.536, which is an upgrade to the version used by Lollipop users, which is v2.11.531. However, the latest version can also be used on Lollipop devices.
WhatsApp also hid a catch in this feature, where users who got the feature activated on their devices had to call other users of the latest version so as to activate the voice calling feature on their devices too. This was the case when the first version was released for Android Lollipop users, and it is still the same case for Android KitKat users which simply means that the company is pushing these updates gradually down the line and sooner or later all Android users will have WhatsApp voice calls activated on their devices.
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