What you need to know
- WhatsApp's new Calls tab borrows heavily from WhatsApp.
- Meta says that people are making voice and video calls more and the new interface will make them easier to initiate.
- The new change is rolling out to people now.
Meta is rolling out a new Calls tab for the Facebook Messenger app that is designed to make it easier for people to make audio and video calls. The new design takes a leaf out of WhatsApp's book and will be immediately familiar to users of the other Meta instant messaging service.
DigitalTrends reports that the new Calls tab is rolling out to people now and while it might not appear for everyone immediately, it's on its way. Meta believes that the change is a worthwhile one at a time when people are making more calls than ever thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and new working and living situations.
Meta said that the decision to add calling on the Messenger app's home screen is due to the rapid rise in audio and video calls that are done through the chat window of another user. It found that there are 40% more daily callers now compared to early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to work from home and conduct meetings via video and audio. Messenger users worldwide conduct more than 300 million audio and video calls on a daily basis.
Facebook Messenger continues to borrow from WhatsApp in a way that will make the two apps more interchangeable than ever, at least for those who have the same contacts across both platforms. That should perhaps be no surprise given the fact they're both from the same company, of course. Both are among the best iPhone apps for staying in touch with friends and family.
It doesn't appear that there will need to be an app update for the new call tab to kick in, but everyone who doesn't yet have the Facebook Messenger app installed can download it for free right now.
