WhatsApp brings encrypted video and voice calls to desktop app
Since we’re probably still be living with video calls over the next few months, a lot of apps are making it easier for their users to make such calls for work and for loved ones. WhatsApp is now letting its users have encrypted video and voice calls on the desktop app. This will be more convenient for those calls when you need to fit more people on the screen or when a bigger screen is needed for those video calls.
Whether it’s for work or to keep in touch with loved ones, you’ll now be able to do it on your laptop or desktop through the WhatsApp app. It will work for both portrait and landscape orientation and calls will be on a standalone window on your computer screen. You can resize it to whichever works for your better and it will always be on top so if you’re doing something else while on the voice or video call.
Just like all the calls on your mobile app, both voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted so they will not be seen or heard by anyone apart from the people who are on your call. For now though, the encryption will only apply to one-on-one calls so you are able to get a “reliable and high-quality experience” but they promised that it will soon expand to group voice and video calls. They did not say when but “in the future”.
WhatsApp is still one of the most popular messaging apps in the world right now even though they have gotten some flack lately. They are trying to fight the misinformation spreading around about their new privacy policy which users have to agree to by May 15 if they want to continue using the app. There have been concerns over the sharing of information to parent company Facebook but they assure users that this is only in regards to communicating with businesses and not your private conversations.
In any case, if you’re still a WhatsApp user and have not migrated to other messaging apps like Telegram or Signal, you can now use the desktop app for your voice and video calls. You’ll have to of course download and install the desktop app on your Windows PC or Mac.
