WhatsApp Testing Voice and Video Call Features for Mac Desktop Client - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

WhatsApp Testing Voice and Video Call Features for Mac Desktop Client

whatsappiconcleanedWhatsApp will soon let Mac users make voice and video calls from the platform's desktop client, according to a new report from forthcoming feature specialist WABetaInfo.

WhatsApp has offered voice and video calling in its mobile app for some time, but the feature doesn't extend to the encrypted messaging platform's web and desktop clients.

However, that looks set to change, based on a beta of WhatsApp's desktop variant. As the screenshot below shows, users involved in the beta testing stage of the client can see new voice and video calling buttons in the chat header of the app window.

WA CALLS BUTTON BETA WEB
Clicking either button initiates a voice or video call to the selected contact, and then displays a separate pop-up window showing options to enable or disable video, mute the call, or hang up.

WA WEB CALL
Meanwhile, a call recipient using the desktop client sees a similar pop-up window indicating someone is calling them and offering them options to accept or decline the incoming call.

WA WEB DECLINE ACCEPT CALL
It's not clear how long voice and video calls will remain in beta testing on the desktop client, but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features, so if we could well see the functionality appear in an update in the next few weeks.

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

Top Rated Comments

Pupi Avatar
75 months ago

but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features
I... uhhhh.... what??
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
beanbaguk Avatar
75 months ago
I’m still waiting for WhatsApp for iPad.....why am i forced to use dodgy knock-off HTML wrapper apps???? (I don’t, but you get the idea....)

Also, where is WhatsApp for Apple Watch?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
75 months ago

... but WhatsApp is fairly quick at introducing new features...
That small statement has just cost you a lot of reporting credibility in my eyes.

It simply could not be further from the truth. That is unless the definition of fairly has changed since I last looked it up (which admittedly has been a while...)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
75 months ago

another tracking app ? and now for the Mac ? hmmm - amazing that people simply allow all this
Whilst I fully agree with you on the tracking, it’s not like you have many options when most of the people you know don’t use iPhones (hence iMessage or FaceTimeisn’t an option), and you can’t exactly convince them all to switch to another platform like Telegram or Signal.
In the US, where iPhone penetration is higher, it’s probably possible to go by without using WhatsApp, but in many European countries, many times you have a large share of connections that don’t use iPhones and WhatsApp is usually their go to messaging solution.
For instance, in my circle of friends and family only an handful use iPhones, even though there are many who use MacBooks and/or iPads (they just don’t like iPhones or refuse to spend €1k on a phone).

An alternative would be choosing your friends based on whether they have iPhones or not! 😁
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGüey Avatar
75 months ago
By the way, when can we have the WhatsApp app for iPad? We have waited it for years.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
75 months ago

another tracking app ? and now for the Mac ? hmmm - amazing that people simply allow all this
WhatsApp is the messaging standard for the majority of people unfortunatly.

I resisted installing it for as long as I could but I was just missing out on all the social chat with friends & family, so I had to install it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)