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IN PHOTO: WhatsApp Logo Pavithra R

The CEO of WhatsApp, Jan Koum has made an official announcement on the Facebook page of the app that the count of monthly active users has reached 800 million mark. Compared to the count recorded last year in August, the rise is 33 percent. It has recently added voice calling feature for the Android version of the app. The WhatsApp voice calling feature is soon going to arrive for Windows Phone and iOS versions.

According to WM Power User (WMPU), through a leaked image more evidence has cropped up that shows that WhatsApp voice calling for Windows Phone users is arriving soon. It contains phrases like Answer, Ignore, Mute, End Call, Incoming Call, Dialing and more that makes it apparent voice calling feature is waiting to get unleashed soon for Windows Phone users.

So, when is it going to arrive for Windows Phone users? As of this writing, there is no official confirmation from WhatsApp about the exact time frame for activating the said feature for Windows Phone users. According to the International Business Times report that was published on April 7, the VOIP calling feature is pegged to be available for Windows Phone devices in the next month.

The WhatsApp voice calling feature was first made available for Android users. However, Windows Phone and iDevice users are yet to see the feature on their devices. The IBTimes report claims that the reason behind the delay is that developers are interested in making the voice calling feature available first for mobile operating system platforms such as Android and iOS since they higher number of users.

Expected Features WhatsApp Users On Windows Phone:

Video Calling

Apart from voice calling, the IBTimes report from April 14, like its major rivals like Viber and Skype, WhatsApp is also expected to bring video calling feature as a free service.

WhatsApp Skype Integration

WinBeta claims that WhatsApp for Windows Phone users may come with a new “Call via Skype” feature. A one-click access will make it possible for instantly start a video call on Skype while having a text conversation.

Facebook Integration

Citing Geek Time, another IBTimes report dated April 9 states that a new “Send” button with WhatsApp icon will be seen below each post alongside other options such as Like, Comment and Share.

Saving WhatsApp Conversations On One Drive

For Android users, WhatsApp has started a new backup feature that lets users to save conversations on Google Drive by linking their Gmail Account for Android users. A similar One Drive integration may also arrive for Windows Phone users but there is no official confirmation on it.

Other Updates

The new WhatsApp with voice calling support will allow users to turn off read receipts notifications. It will also bring support for more internet browsers like Firefox and Opera apart from Google Chrome for using WhatsApp for Web client, states IBTimes report.

To report problems or leave feedback about this article, email: a.sivanandan@ibtimes.com.au