What’s new at WhatsApp: The Mac version of the instant messaging client gets a revised look and new functions. An update is available available for direct download from the Meta subsidiary’s website since last week ready, but not yet in Apple’s Mac App Store arrived.
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Moved menu bar and group calls
With version 23.17.80 comes a slightly refreshed design for WhatsApp on the Mac. The menu bar is moved from the top to the left, which should speed up access to chats, calls, archived and starred messages. You can now only see your own icon if you open the WhatsApp settings.
The central new feature concerns the video calls. Up to eight people can now join a call started from the Mac. With voice calls, it can even be groups of up to 32 people. You can also join a group call that has already started. Also new is the call log and the ability to enable notifications for incoming calls on the Mac. This is possible even if the app is not currently open.
Too late for the home office phase
It is amazing that it took so long for WhatsApp to bring group calls to the Mac – otherwise the feature would certainly have been suitable in the Corona home office phase to make direct competition for Zoom, Teams, Webex and Co. The new functions are already there part of the Windows version of WhatsApp since March – macOS users once again had to be patient.
If you really want to try out the new functions now and don’t want to wait for the update to the Mac App Store version (available “soon” according to WhatsApp), you can replace it with a direct download. After that, however, a new link with the iPhone client is due – including the download of existing messages. WhatsApp is free to download and use. The last Mac App Store version was released on August 28, but only came with unspecified bug fixes and performance improvements.
(bsc)