HIGHLIGHTS
- WhatsApp’s call waiting feature differs from putting a call on hold
- The update adds a new ‘End & Accept’ button to the call screen
- WhatsApp also gets fingerprint lock and new group privacy settings
WhatsApp has begun the rollout of an update for its Android app that brings a highly useful feature – call waiting. As the name clearly suggests, this features alerts users when they receive a WhatsApp call when they are already in the middle of another WhatsApp call with someone else. Rather than automatically disconnecting the second incoming WhatsApp call, users will now get an alert and can choose to either decline it, or disconnect the ongoing WhatsApp call to accept the other one. However, it must be noted that this is not the same as putting a call on hold, since two users can’t be on the same line simultaneously. The feature is now available for both Android, after being made available for the iPhone app late last month.
The latest WhatsApp update for both the beta as well as stable Android channels brings the call waiting feature. It is now available via the Google Play Store. The changelog also mentions the arrival of enhanced group privacy settings and the fingerprint unlock support for the app. We can confirm that the call waiting feature on WhatsApp is now available in version 2.19.352 of the stable Android app, as well as version 2.19.357 and version 2.19.358 of the beta app.
In case you haven’t received the update yet, you can download the stable build from APKMirror here. To recall, in late November, WhatsApp v2.19.120 for iOS brought the call waiting feature alongside a redesigned Chat screen, as well as the ability to quickly send your messages directly from the Braille keyboard when using VoiceOver mode.
How WhatsApp call waiting works?
Prior to the update, when Android users received a WhatsApp call in midst of another WhatsApp call, the incoming call was automatically disconnected and they would see a missed call notification when the existing conversation ended. But following the update, users can choose to pick up the incoming call while talking with another person.
The incoming call UI in WhatsApp now shows a green ‘End & Accept’ button alongside the ‘Decline’ button. If you press the red ‘Decline’ button, the incoming call will be cancelled and you can carry on with your ongoing call. However, if you tap on the ‘End & Accept’ button, the ongoing call will be disconnected so that you can talk to the other person.
Unlike call holding on a regular call over a cellular network, WhatsApp won’t allow you to put the second incoming call on hold and link with two people on the line simultaneously. You either choose to continue with the ongoing WhatsApp call, or disconnect it in order to accept the second incoming call.
In addition to call waiting, the new WhatsApp update also marks the wider rollout of the updated group privacy feature that allows users to decide who can add them to a WhatsApp call. You can check this out by following this path: Account > Privacy > Groups in the settings menu. The changelog of the new stable and beta WhatsApp updates also mentions the arrival of fingerprint lock feature for the app that was announced back in October. You can enable this feature by going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock.
