Calling into chat groups can now be done more subtly. All members will receive a silent notification with the new feature, not an active call.

Whoever says WhatsApp automatically says chat groups. Everyone is in at least one, most likely too many. Already today you can start calling in such a chat group, but then each user will be informed that he or she is being called. Practical is different, the ideal time to (secretly) leave a group.

According to WABetaInfo, the chat client in the latest beta version of WhatsApp is testing a feature that allows you to make “silent” calls in a separate voice chat room. You can start such a room within a group, after which everyone in the group will receive a silent notification. A chat bubble will appear in the chat group stating that someone has started a voice chat.

To join this group, tap the speech bubble and you can listen and actively participate with your voice if needed. Is a session empty for 60 minutes? Then the voice chat will end automatically. Multiple sessions can run simultaneously within a chat group.

WhatsApp reports that the standard end-to-end encryption rule applies and no one except the participants of the group themselves can eavesdrop on the content of the message.

The new feature is currently only available to WhatsApp beta testers. If you want to become one on Android, you can register via this link and then update the app in the Google Play Store. There are currently no beta programs available through TestFlight for iOS.

WhatsApp has evolved rapidly over the past few months. Since the end of last week, you can send short video messages and send messages to unsaved contacts. You can now also add multiple accounts on one smartphone and edit messages.