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WhatsApp Is Rolling Out Video Calls On Its Android App (techcrunch.com)
WhatsApp appears to be rolling out its video calling feature for beta users of the Android app. The arrival of the feature was first spotted by Android Police, which found that an updated app interface caused some users of the beta builds of the application to be able to access video calling. TechCrunch reports: For those on a version of WhatsApp which includes video calling support, you're able to tap the call button or tap on a contact card to kick off a video call. In this case, a new dialog box will appear, offering the choice between a standard voice call and a video call. In addition, the call log will show which calls were made via video by annotating them with the camera icon, instead of the telephone icon. However, there isn't yet a way to call other WhatsApp users who don't also have video calling support. If you try to, WhatsApp defaults to a voice call. Android isn't the only platform where video calling has been switched on. Last week, some users on the WhatsApp beta for Windows Phone were also surprised to find that the feature was now functional. And in this case, it didn't require an app update -- indicating a server-side change could enable it. Some users have also reported seeing the feature on iOS.
This will probably help to keep people on WhatsApp. It's got to be more convenient than the iMessage/Facetime or Allo/Duo split between apps approach that Apple and Google are taking.
Sigs are so 1990s. No way would I be seen dead with one.
Whatsapp is great, but every so often something in the app makes it feel like it's developed by one guy in his parents' basement.
For example, currently there's no way to migrate your chat history between iphone and android without paying $25 for a third party app (that doesn't always work).
I'm using an iPhone 6. The camera takes 5-10 seconds to open from within the app.
It takes them months to add simple features, like 3D touch. I didn't mind when they didn't add it because maybe they didn't want to. But then it came like 9 months after the feature was introduced.
Plus the interface is getting very old and is need of a major redesign.
If Apple releases iMessage for Android as is rumored, the whatsapp team should be worried.
Just so we can be clear, what is OK to force others to use?
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
The plethora of WebRTC and mobile video calling clients really does not make this a very interesting feature. IOS and Android users have SO many different options for video calling that it's not really that interesting. From an engineer's perspective I am interested in the various strengths and weaknesses in terms of video codecs, forward error correction, etc. A nice matrix outlining the various technical approaches would be nice. Also....what would ALSO be nice is a re-commitment from these closed walled off gardens would be XMPP and/or SIP compatibility (native and not an add-on cost option).
Google+
So in other words, Skype. Or WeChat. Or any of a dozen other near-identical video chat programs.
I feel dizzy from so much innovation.
They used to say that every program expanded and added features until it could send email, now it looks like "video chat" is the new benchmark. How long will it be before the "FlashLight Extreme" app on my phone can initiate video calls?
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
The fact that Whatsapp works with mobile phone numbers.
Except that Whatsapp has desktop versions for Windows 8+ and Mac OSX 10.9+, as well as a web based version. You just have to set up the account via a phone first.
Thank you, RMS. Can you let us know when the GNU edition of this will be available, that will require us to type in a LISP script in order to make our calls?
My iPad that I got from Verizon also has a cellular connection w/ its own mobile number. Point is that I can't use that number to associate any of the apps w/ my iPad: I have to use my iPhone number. If they are providing a phone# for my tablets, why can't I use those numbers for things like iMessage, WhatsApp, FaceTime and other apps that need phone numbers?
Not that this is a uniquely iOS issue. I have a Moto X and a Verizon Ellipsis 10. The Ellipsis doesn't work w/ its own dedicated number: I'd have to associate Message+ and other things w/ the number of my phone!!! This is demented. They can disallow cellular calls on the tablets if they want, but why disallow associating the tablet numbers w/ apps that require phone# in order to operate as designed?
You are mixing texting apps w/ apps that allow you to see and talk to a person live. FaceTime is the latter, while the apps you mentioned (aside from Skype and now WhatsApp) are the former
... they are rolling back video (and audio) calls and SMS by replacing Hangouts with the sub-featured Allo messaging app.
That's the point. People want a multi-communications app that does it app. Video, voice, text, images, etc. Splitting those into different apps makes it all the more likely that your contacts won't have the same setup on their end. What's easier?
"I use Whatsapp."
or
"I use slack for messaging, but only at work. For screen sharing I use hangouts and for SMS I either use iMessage when I'm on my iPhone or hangouts when I'm on my computer. For video I use Hangouts or Duo, and sometimes iMessage."
Except that WhatsApp doesn't do screen sharing
Tell me, do you find the trees every getting in the way of you seeing the forest?
When you use trees to make a point about the forest, dont be surprised if people notice the trees, and something being wrong with the trees.