WhatsApp is building the ability to make calls directly from its browser-based web app, according to TechCrunch and Android Authority, both of which agree the feature supports screen sharing and reactions. Android Authority, citing a Meta blog post, reports additional details including end-to-end encryption, Call Transfer, a Waiting Room and a QuickHD video mode — though these features are reported only by Android Authority and are unconfirmed by any other outlet. Neither outlet reports when the feature arrives, who gets it first, or what a user needs to access it.
WhatsApp is putting calls directly into its web app, according to both TechCrunch and Android Authority. Until now, the browser version handled messages but not calls, according to these outlets, though this claim is unconfirmed by any other source. The two outlets agree on the core of the story and on two of its details, but almost everything a reader would want to know about availability and requirements is missing from both accounts.
What both confirm is narrow: calls are coming to WhatsApp Web, and the feature supports screen sharing and reactions. Everything beyond that rests on a single outlet’s reporting, most of it Android Authority’s.
What Happened
Both TechCrunch and Android Authority report that WhatsApp is bringing calling to its web app, and both say the feature supports screen sharing and reactions. That is the full extent of what the two outlets independently confirm.
According to TechCrunch, which alone reports this, the web calling is similar to what already exists on the smartphone and desktop apps — though this is unconfirmed by any other outlet. Android Authority goes further, attributing the update to a Meta blog post. According to Android Authority, which alone reports this, WhatsApp calls the feature “Web Calling,” and it brings the full call history to the browser through a Calls tab — though this is unconfirmed by any other outlet. The same outlet reports the calls are end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls.
Android Authority also lists a set of extras TechCrunch does not mention: Call Transfer, a Waiting Room, a QuickHD mode for video calls, and noise suppression to cut background sound. None appear in TechCrunch’s account, so each stands on one outlet alone. According to Android Authority, which alone reports this, WhatsApp is introducing QuickHD for video calls and noise suppression to block background noise — though these features are unconfirmed by any other outlet.
Background
According to Android Authority, which alone reports this, users previously had to download the WhatsApp desktop app to make or receive calls. If accurate, that sets the before-and-after: calling was tied to a separate download, and the web app now closes that gap. TechCrunch does not confirm this framing, so the claim rests on Android Authority alone.
Who This Affects
The people affected are those who use WhatsApp in a browser rather than through the phone or desktop apps. Beyond that, neither outlet says who gets the feature or when. There is no reported information on whether it is live for everyone, limited to certain regions, or rolling out in stages.
What Has Changed
The change, as Android Authority frames it, is that calling no longer requires the separate WhatsApp desktop app. Where a user once had to install that software to make or receive a call, the browser itself now handles it. TechCrunch does not describe this shift, and neither outlet says whether the old desktop-app path still works alongside the new one.
Key Features
- Calling directly from the WhatsApp web app (TechCrunch and Android Authority)
- Screen sharing during calls (TechCrunch and Android Authority)
- Reactions during calls (TechCrunch and Android Authority)
- End-to-end encrypted voice and video calls, per Android Authority
- Call Transfer and a Waiting Room, per Android Authority
- QuickHD video mode and noise suppression, per Android Authority
- A Calls tab bringing full call history to the browser, per Android Authority
Expert Analysis
Neither outlet quotes an analyst or an executive, so there is no outside assessment to report. What the coverage itself shows is this: the two accounts agree on the headline and on two features, and diverge sharply in depth. TechCrunch sticks to the essentials and compares the web calling to the existing phone and desktop experience. Android Authority carries the fuller feature list and cites a Meta blog post as its source.
The claim that matters most for users is Android Authority’s statement that the calls are end-to-end encrypted. TechCrunch does not confirm it. For a calling feature, encryption is no minor detail, and a single outlet asserting it is not the same as it being established. The same caution applies to Call Transfer, the Waiting Room, QuickHD and noise suppression, all of which appear in one account only.
What This Means
For now, a reader can safely take away one thing: calls are coming to WhatsApp Web, with screen sharing and reactions. The richer picture Android Authority paints, drawn from what it describes as a Meta blog post, may well be accurate, but TechCrunch’s account neither confirms nor contradicts most of it.
The gaps are large. No outlet reports when the feature arrives, whether it reaches all users at once or in stages, or what device, browser or account a user needs. Neither says whether it covers group calls or only one-to-one, and neither explains why the browser version lacked calling until now. Those are the questions a Meta announcement would normally answer, and their absence from both accounts is worth flagging.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Removes the need to install a separate desktop app to call, according to Android Authority
- Keeps screen sharing and reactions inside the call, confirmed by both outlets
Cons
- No reported rollout date, so users cannot tell when they will get it
- Key details such as encryption and the extra call features rest on a single outlet
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make calls from WhatsApp Web now?
WhatsApp is adding calling to its web app, according to both TechCrunch and Android Authority. Neither outlet reports whether the feature is live for all users yet or still rolling out.
Does WhatsApp Web calling support screen sharing?
Yes. Both TechCrunch and Android Authority report that the web calling feature supports screen sharing and reactions.
Are the web calls encrypted?
Android Authority reports the calls are end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls. TechCrunch does not confirm this, so it currently rests on one outlet.
Do you still need the WhatsApp desktop app to call?
Android Authority says users previously had to download the desktop app to make or receive calls, implying the web app now removes that requirement. Neither outlet says whether the desktop path still works alongside it.
Conclusion
The confirmed story is small and clear: WhatsApp is bringing calling to its web app, with screen sharing and reactions along for the ride. The fuller version — encryption, Call Transfer, a Waiting Room and QuickHD — comes from Android Authority alone, which reports that the details were shared in a Meta blog post, though this has not been confirmed by any other outlet. What to watch is the detail neither outlet supplied: a firm rollout date, the regions and users covered, and whether group calls are included. Until Meta’s own announcement is confirmed against the feature going live, the extras are reported, not settled.
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