WhatsApp is expanding its call features to the web, letting you talk and see people directly from your browser. But it’s not the same as a native app — your phone still has to be connected.
Users can now join or start one-on-one and group video calls from WhatsApp Web, just as they do on their phones. But if your phone is offline, your web window goes dark. It's a tethered experience — the call doesn’t live here, it just follows you.
Call transfer is now in use too. That means you can start a video call on your phone and later switch to your laptop, as long as both are logged in. The host can also set up a waiting room before the call, making them the gatekeeper for who gets to join.
QuickHD, a feature for faster high-definition video, has been tweaked to kick in sooner. iPhone users also now have in-call audio options — either isolate your voice or hear a wider range of sound around you.
It’s a bigger step toward using WhatsApp from a browser, but it’s still a phone-dependent system. If you want to talk from your laptop, your phone has to stay on and connected. And if WhatsApp’s servers hiccup, your call goes with it.