WhatsApp Launches Mac App With Video Calling for 8 People – CNET

WhatsApp Launches Mac App With Video Calling for 8 People - CNET

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WhatsApp Launches Mac App With Video Calling for 8 People

The messaging app is continuing its bid to compete with Zoom and Teams.

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Corinne Reichert Senior Writer
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently oversees the CNET breaking news desk for the West Coast. Corinne covers everything from phones, social media and security to movies, politics, 5G and pop culture. In her spare time, she watches soccer games, F1 races and Disney movies.
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Corinne Reichert
2 min read

WhatsApp Mac app group video call

WhatsApp

WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook parent company Meta, has just launched an app for Mac computers.

In a continuing bid to compete with business video calling giant Zoom, the WhatsApp Mac app includes group audio and video calls for multiple people.

“Launching a new WhatsApp app for Mac. Group calls up to 8 people on video and 32 on audio,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Instagram broadcast channel Tuesday morning.

WhatsApp had earlier launched a desktop app for Windows. Both desktop apps include end-to-end encryption of your calls and chats across your devices.

How to download WhatsApp for Mac

The app will be available on Apple’s App Store soon, but for now here’s how to download it onto your Mac:

  1. Head to the WhatsApp website.
  2. Hit the green download button in the top right corner.
  3. There will be three options for download: Android, iOS and Mac. Hit the download button under Mac.
  4. The download will begin. Once it’s done, click on the file.
  5. Drag and drop the green WhatsApp file into your Applications folder.
  6. You can then open the Applications folder to see the WhatsApp app, and click on it to run it.
  7. Log in to your account or set up a new one to get started.

WhatsApp for Mac requires macOS 11 or later.

WhatsApp for Mac: new features

  • You can select to receive incoming call notifications while your app is closed.
  • You can now drag and drop files from your desktop into a chat to share them.

The new app follows WhatsApp this month introducing screen sharing during video calls.

Meta has been focused on bringing new features to expand the use of WhatsApp over the past few months, including instant video messageschannels to follow people and brandslocking your intimate chatsediting sent messagesWear OS integration, and the ability to use WhatsApp across multiple phones and move your messages to a new phone

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