WhatsApp has finally done it as it relates
to Voice Calling on WhatsApp, which
they've been testing since February 2015 as reported in my blog article
entitled “WhatsApp
Testing Free Voice Calling - Why Free Local, International Calling over 4G LTE
may soon be Possible”.
As
of Tuesday March 31st 2015, it's now possible to make WhatsApp calls, at least to other WhatsApp users as reported in the article “WhatsApp
for Android now offers voice calling to all users”, published March 31,
2015 by Lance Whitney, CNET News.
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No
more voice notes and then awaiting your friend to play the Voice File; this is straight
Voice Calling, much as you'd do on a cellphone.
Alas
it’s April Fools as I’m writing this; there are some limitations.
WhatsApp Voice Calling –
Available via APK only and restricted to WhatsApp Calling
Currently
WhatsApp Calling only available for
Google Android smartphone users.
Also
you have to have updated to the latest version of WhatsApp, specifically by downloading and
installing WhatsApp
2.12.19 APK from WhatsApp Mirror Site or WhatsApp 2.12.19 APK direct from
WhatsApp as reported in the article “WhatsApp
Android App Now Has Free Voice Calling For Everyone”, published 3/31/2015
by Amit Chowdhry, Forbes.
Upon
installation, you’ll get a WhatsApp Screen as shown below, indicating that you’re
ready to make WhatsApp Calls.
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WhatsApp 2.12.19 is only available
as an APK (Android Application Package) file from WhatsApp
2.12.19 APK from WhatsApp Mirror Site or WhatsApp 2.12.19 APK direct from
WhatsApp and NOT on the Google
Play Store.
Google Play Store does not have WhatsApp Version 2.12.19 but instead
has WhatsApp
Version 2.12.5, which does not support the Voice Calling Feature, whether
it be making or receiving calls.
Finally,
WhatsApp Calling using WhatsApp Version 2.12.19 installed
via APK means that you can only make WhatsApp
to WhatsApp Calls for now; this is just
the testing phase as this may change within a few months.
WhatsApp Calling
Restricted to please Carriers – Landline and Mobile Calling coming with Apple
Version
Apparently
Facebook, owners of WhatsApp, are
trying to please Telecom Providers and Carriers around the world by not divert
traffic from GSM Voice Calling to their WhatsApp
Voice calling platform.
By
making it a technically adept procedure to set up WhatsApp Calling on your smartphone via an
APK installation, it ensures only the technically minded can enjoy a feature
that too many may seem pointless, given their current use of Voice notes.
But
eventually, this might blossom into direct calling to Local and International
Landline and Mobile numbers similar to Call+ or MagicApp as noted in my MICO Wars blog article “How
to make Free International Calls to Landlines and Mobiles Anywhere in the World”.
Once
that happens, most likely when they roll out the Apple iPhone Version on the
Apple iTunes Store, then WhatsApp will
really become more interesting to most smartphone users. It would mean you can
call Local and International Landline and Mobile numbers either for free or at
rates equivalent to a making a local call.
It'll
be interesting to see what happens when the Apple iPhone gets WhatsApp Calling.....
Here’s
the link:
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