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By Sheila Kimani (@sheilakimm)
Forget loading airtime just to make calls, as of today morning Whatsapp service users can be able to view all their contacts on a new bar and make calls on the app. This new mode of communications simply requires data bundles from any mobile subscriber or wireless connections such as Wi-Fi or hotspots to establish a connection.
The much discussed move to support voice calls has been on-going since February last year. Many Whatsapp users on the Android platforms were fascinated to find the new tab working in Kenya.
“Calling my girlfriend over the app this morning was impressive. She was shocked at the interface which looks different from the normal calls and after our conversation she was excitedly calling her girlfriends over w@sapp,” said Elvis a technology specialist.
For those excited to use the app but don’t know how, all that is needed is a quick check on the Whasapp homepage. There is an extra tab with ‘Calls’, ‘Contacts’ and ‘Chats’.
Once you tap the little call icon at the top right-hand side, and you’ll be able to call your Whatsapp contact while connected to any internet source.
As it is considered a progressive move in regards to communications, the only downside to the app is the lag in conversations but the developers have reassured that they are working on a fix.
In a press conference, Whatsapp co-founder Brian Acton also recently revealed the voice-call feature would be arriving on Apple’s iOS in the coming weeks.
