Report: WhatsApp Voice Calling Finally Coming to iOS

Good news, WhatsApp users. The Facebook-owned chat app is about to get a new feature on iOS: free voice calling.

Speaking at Facebook's annual f8 developer's conference Thursday, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton said the long-ago promised voice-calling feature will finally arrive on iOS devices within a "couple weeks," according to a report from VentureBeat. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WhatsApp first launched voice calling on Android last month, but only on a limited, invitation-only basis. Since then, iOS users have been left out of the party, but it looks like that's about to change.

WhatsApp users can already send voice messages to contacts — just press and hold the microphone icon above the keyboard. But this upcoming addition will reportedly function more like a telephone call than a voicemail, and put WhatsApp in competition with VoIP apps such as Skype and Viber.

WhatApp first announced plans to add voice calling more than a year ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. At the time, the feature was expected to launch in the second quarter of 2014, but that obviously didn't happen. At f8 this week, Acton said WhatsApp has been working to refine the feature for the past year.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp also recently introduced a Web client for in-browser chatting. At this point, however, it only works with Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone versions of the app.

For more, see PCMag's reviews of WhatsApp for Android and iPhone. Also check out What Is WhatsApp? An Explainer.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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