In middle of a WhatsApp voice call? You can switch to video call instantly

WhatsApp has launched a feature in its beta version that will let users switch to video calls from voice calls at the touch of a button.

According to a report in the Independent, if you are in the middle of a WhatsApp voice call and want to switch to a video call, you just need to tap that button to make the switch.

Tapping the button will send a request to the person on the other side, asking if he or she wants to switch from voice to video.

If the offer is accepted, the call will be switched.

If the offer is declined, the voice call will continue as normal. In the current version of WhatsApp, you need to end a voice call to make a video call.

WhatsApp calls are currently only available in one-on-one conversations but it might be available to group chats in the near future, the report said.

The new feature was spotted by watcher of the popular chat app WABetaInfo, which said that the feature is only available to those who have signed up to the beta version of WhatsApp.

Last month, WABetaInfo reported that WhatsApp mistakenly rolled out the 'Reply Privately' feature in a beta update that would allow users to privately send a message to a participant in a group without anyone else knowing about it.

The feature appeared and was subsequently dropped from the beta version of the app, watcher of the popular chat app @WABetaInfo said, confirming that the developers wrongly enabled the feature.

WABetaInfo also leaked the details of the features that WhatsApp was developing for web and desktop, including tap to unblock and a picture-in-picture (PIP) mode.
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FB launches 'click-to-WhatsApp' feature for businesses to reach users

If you are an advertiser on Facebook, you now have a bigger audience to cater to as Facebook has launched a click-to-WhatsApp button on its platform that will let advertisers connect with over one billion WhatsApp users.

Facebook that has over two billion users confirmed this to TechCrunch on Friday that it is rolling out the feature gradually, starting with North and South America, Africa, Australia and most of Asia.

"Many people already use WhatsApp to communicate with small businesses. It's a fast, convenient way to stay in touch," Pancham Gajjar, Product Marketing Manager, Facebook, was quoted as saying.

"By adding a click-to-WhatsApp button to Facebook ads, businesses can now make it even easier for people to learn about their products, set up an appointment or use their service," he added.

Facebook said that over a million Pages currently include WhatsApp numbers in their posts.

To make the new feature work, reported Adweek, businesses that have WhatsApp numbers can add 'send message' buttons with the WhatsApp logo to their Facebook ads and those ads will only be delivered to users who have WhatsApp installed on their smartphones.

People must add businesses' WhatsApp numbers to their contacts to initiate conversations.

Once they do it, the messaging app opens with a default message expressing interest, which can be edited by users before being sent.

The feature is similar to the click-to-Messenger button that Facebook introduced in its ads in November last year.

The click-to-Messenger ads debuted on Instagram in May this year.

Facebook said that over a million Facebook pages currently include WhatsApp numbers in their posts.

To make the new feature work, businesses that have WhatsApp numbers can add 'send message' buttons with the WhatsApp logo to their Facebook ads and those ads will only be delivered to Facebook users who have WhatsApp installed on their phones.

Supreme Court asks WhatsApp, Facebook to file affidavit on user data

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed social media service providers WhatsApp and Facebook to file an affidavit in four weeks stating what data they were gathering about millions of users and whether they were sharing it with any third-party entity.

The Bench, presided by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, issued the directive in view of the recent nine-judge bench judgment that upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental one.

The apex court also issued a notice to Google on a new petition alleging that the search engine had violated the right to privacy. The court stated that after receiving the affidavits, it would decide what order could be passed. The next date of hearing is November 28.

The central government told the court at the start of arguments that a committee headed by former SC judge B N Srikrishna was studying the implications of privacy rights in the social media and internet.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked the court to wait for its comprehensive report before passing any order. The issue of privacy in the electronic media, he argued, was complex and not judicially manageable.
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