WhatsApp is finally closing one of the biggest gaps between its mobile and browser experiences by adding native voice and video calls to its web app. The feature, long requested by people who live in their laptops, is starting in a limited rollout but is already reshaping what the service can do beyond phones. For millions who rely on WhatsApp for work and family communication, the browser is about to become a full communication hub rather than a glorified typing window.
The change also signals how aggressively Meta is pushing WhatsApp deeper into the productivity and collaboration space. By letting users place calls directly from a tab, without installing extra software, WhatsApp is positioning its web client as a credible alternative to traditional meeting tools and even its own desktop apps.
What exactly is changing in WhatsApp Web
The core shift is simple: users can now initiate and receive one-to-one voice and video calls directly from the browser version of WhatsApp, instead of being limited to text, stickers, and file sharing. The feature lives inside the familiar chat interface, so once a user links their phone to the web client, they can click call icons in individual conversations and talk through their computer’s microphone and camera while their phone stays in a pocket or bag. This brings the browser experience much closer to the capabilities of the main WhatsApp app on phones.
Calling support is being added to the browser-based web client, not just the installable desktop apps, which is crucial for people on locked-down work machines or operating systems that do not have native WhatsApp software. Reporting on the rollout notes that the feature is initially focused on individual chats and is tied to the same account-linking system that already syncs messages between phone and browser, so users do not need to create a separate profile or contact list to start calling from their laptop.
A gradual rollout focused on beta users
WhatsApp is not flipping the switch for everyone at once, instead it is using a staged rollout that starts with people enrolled in its browser testing channels. Early coverage explains that WhatsApp Web is “finally” adding support for voice and video calls, with the first wave going to beta users who open individual chats and see new call buttons appear in the header of the conversation window, a change detailed in reports on Web Finally Launches. The same rollout is described as starting with individual chats for users who have opted into the testing program, which helps WhatsApp monitor performance and fix issues before a broader release.
Details from the beta community confirm that WhatsApp is gradually introducing voice and video calling on the Web, with the explicit goal of letting people place calls without installing a desktop app at all. Another breakdown of the feature notes that WhatsApp is rolling out voice and video calls on the web with support for call links and scheduled calls in the roadmap, which is highlighted in coverage of the new features. That measured approach suggests WhatsApp is treating browser calling as a long term pillar of the service rather than a quick experiment.
Inside the new calling experience in the browser
From a user perspective, the calling interface is designed to feel familiar to anyone who has used WhatsApp on a phone, but with tweaks that make sense on a larger screen. Reports describe how WhatsApp is now rolling out support for video and voice calls through its web app, with a separate floating window that handles the call while the main chat list remains visible in the background, a behavior detailed in coverage by Ben Schoon. The layout mirrors other web conferencing tools, with controls for muting, disabling video, and ending the call placed along the bottom of the call window.
On the technical side, the feature is now starting to reach WhatsApp Web beta users, with a wider rollout expected after the company validates performance across browsers, as explained in reports that focus on Marcus Mendes. Earlier analysis of the platform’s evolution framed this as the moment when WhatsApp Web Finally Gets Voice and Video Calls in 2025, arguing that the web calling revolution is turning the browser into a full alternative to the desktop app, a point made in coverage of Web Finally Gets. Together, these details show a deliberate effort to make browser calling feel first class rather than bolted on.
Why Linux and browser-only users gain the most
While the upgrade benefits anyone who prefers to work from a laptop, it is especially significant for people on platforms that never had a full-featured WhatsApp client. Coverage of the rollout highlights that the update is a boost for Linux users and others who rely entirely on the browser, since WhatsApp does not offer a native desktop app for every distribution. For these users, the web client is not a convenience, it is the only way to keep WhatsApp open alongside email, project tools, and documents, so adding calls directly into that environment removes a major friction point.
Another analysis frames the arrival of audio and video calling to WhatsApp Web as great news for Linux users because it finally lets some people make calls directly from the web client without juggling phones and headsets, a benefit spelled out in coverage of the Web. The same reporting notes that WhatsApp is finally rolling out this capability to people in the WhatsApp Web beta program, underscoring how long Linux users have waited for parity with Windows and macOS, a point reinforced in coverage of the beta program. For organizations that standardize on Linux workstations, this change alone could make WhatsApp a more viable official communication channel.
Limitations today and what comes next
For now, the browser calling feature is intentionally constrained, which helps explain why WhatsApp is still labeling it as a beta experience. Reports emphasize that in the initial phase, the feature will be available only for one-on-one chats and to users who are part of the testing cohort, a detail spelled out in coverage that begins with the phrase Getting your Trinity Audio player ready and continues with “In the” initial phase. Another breakdown notes that calling for WhatsApp Web is currently only rolling out to those who have signed up for the WhatsApp Web beta, with a promise that it will reach more users in the coming weeks, as detailed in coverage of the Web.
Group voice and video calls are not yet live in the browser, but they are clearly on the roadmap. One update explains that group voice and video calls are coming to WhatsApp Web for browser users and that at present WhatsApp Web only supports one-on-one calls, a future direction laid out in a post about Group calls. Separate reporting reiterates that WhatsApp has initiated a gradual rollout of voice and video calling on the web and that group voice and video calls are coming to WhatsApp Web for browser users, reinforcing that the current one-to-one limitation is temporary, as described in another reference to the Web for. Once group calls and call links arrive, the browser version of WhatsApp will be positioned to compete more directly with established meeting platforms.
