Before this update, the maximum number of participants allowed in a WhatsApp video call was 16 people on Windows and 8 people on Mac. Now, with the update, both platforms support up to 32 people in a video call.
With the new update, WhatsApp for Mac and Windows now supports up to 32 people in a video call. Previously, Mac users could only add 8 people to a video call, while Windows users could add 16 people. This update brings parity with the mobile app, which already supported 32 participants in a video call.
Meta is adding three new features to WhatsApp's video calling functionality:
Support for up to 32 people in video calls on Mac and Windows: Previously, WhatsApp allowed adding 32 people to a video call on Android and iOS devices, but only 16 people on Windows and 8 people on Mac1. Now, the Windows and Mac apps will support adding up to 32 people on a video call1.
Screen sharing with audio: Until now, WhatsApp only shared the video when a user shared their device's screen on a video call, but not the audio4. With this new feature, when you share your device's screen on a video call, WhatsApp will share both the video and the audio, enabling users to watch videos together with friends4.
Speaker Spotlight: WhatsApp now highlights the speaker (the person who is speaking) in a video call by making their video feed appear first in the carousel of video feeds and surrounding that person's video feed with a white outline1.
These features are expected to roll out to the public over the next few weeks.