WhatsApp desktop calls to remain connected if phone gets disconnected: Report

According to a noted WhatsApp feature leaker, calls made on the desktop app could soon continue working even if a users smartphone loses internet access, suggesting multi-device support is closer than we thought.

WhatsApp desktop gets one step closer to multi-device support.  (Pixabay)

One of the biggest complaints that WhatsApp users have had for years is the dependence of WhatsApp Web on your phone's internet connection. Losing internet access on your phone or running out of battery means WhatsApp Desktop also stops working, which can be quite inconvenient. The company reportedly wants to fix this issue with multi-device support which is reportedly being developed.

We recently reported when WhatsApp started allowing users to make calls from their computers, in the first sign of additional ‘standalone' features coming to the desktop version. However, it was widely believed users would still need to have a good network connection with their phone while making a call, which may not be the case going forward. Users who do not yet have the calling feature on the desktop app can try to uninstall and reinstall the app, which some users have reported enables the feature.

WhatsApp Desktop won't interrupt your current call if your phone is not connected to the Internet anymore, during the call. 💯

When multi device will be available in a future update, you can also start calls and send messages without an active Internet connection on your phone.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 6, 2021

According to a new tweet from WhatsApp feature leaker WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp desktop app will not “interrupt” your current call if your phone disconnects from the internet when you are already talking on the service. It is unclear at this point whether this feature is already available - the call disconnected when we “lost” connectivity on our phones during a quick test.

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Multi-device functionality will also bring the ability to initiate calls and message conversations on WhatsApp Desktop, without an active internet connection on your phone, WABetaInfo stated in the same tweet. This implies the iOS and Android apps will most likely work independently of each other and the desktop app, like on rival apps made by Signal and Viber. However, when this functionality will finally arrive for WhatsApp Desktop is anyone's guess as the company is yet to announce the feature.