While speaking at Facebook's F8 developers' conference, Acton said that WhatsApp team "refined and iterated voice calling" last year before launching it on Android. Unfortunately, Acton did not reveal (via Venture Beat) an exact time-frame for the release of the voice calling feature on iOS, and when pressed later disambiguated to say, "Well, several weeks."
(Also see: How to Activate WhatsApp Calling)
Acton's statement however is the first official confirmation of the start of the rollout of the voice calling feature, which began with Android users earlier this month. Unfortunately, WhatsApp voice calling feature is being rolled out in phases, which means it is currently available to limited users and invites only work within specific time periods.
(Also see: WhatsApp Voice Calling - Everything You Need to Know)
Leaked screenshots claimed to be from a jailbroken iPhone running the WhatsApp v2.11.17.444 beta app showing off the UI of the WhatsApp voice calling feature surfaced earlier this month. The screenshots showed a UI that was in-line with the interface spotted last month.
The leaked WhatsApp for iPhone screenshots showed mute, message, and speaker options while in-call, with 'WhatsApp Call' clearly marked on the top left of the calling screen. Notably, the current WhatsApp version available to download from the App Store is 2.11.16, tipping that the voice calling feature might be rolled out with the next app update.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.