WhatsApp brings voice calls to Jio Phone and other KaiOS-based devices

WhatsApp is not only one of the most used messaging platforms globally but it also helps connect people via voice and video calls. In terms of sheer numbers, WhatsApp has over 2.4 billion active users out of which 390 million users are based in India, its largest market by a fair margin.

According to a report, these users send over 100 billion messages and spend over 2 billion minutes every day making voice and video calls. The data mentioned here alone - including active users, number of messages and the total count of calls, is enough to put any telecom company to shame.

However, the count of WhatsApp calls is set to increase drastically now. The Facebook-led messaging platform is bringing WhatsApp calls to Jio Phone and other KaiOS powered feature phones.

For those unaware, KaiOS is a standalone operating system designed for smart feature phones and is the third most used operating system with over 100 million devices present in over 100 countries. This operating system can be found on devices from brands like Nokia - including the Banana phone apart from Reliance's JioPhone and more.

Talking about India’s feature phone segment which has close to 400 million users, JioPhone is the segment leader with over 30% of the market share. While WhatsApp support to KaiOS devices became available in late 2018, WhatsApp VoIP calls will be available now with version 2.2110.41 or above. It is worth noting that this new feature is available on KaiOS devices with 512MB RAM.

Once the WhatsApp application is updated to the latest version, users will be able to make calls by going to Options and then Voice call on any chat thread. The process of accepting incoming voice calls via WhatsApp is the same as any regular call. It is worth noting that since these are VoIP calls, Internet connectivity (WiFi or 4G) is a must.

KaiOS also claims that WhatsApp is the top KaiOS non-system app with the highest monthly active users (MAU) worldwide. Hence, this move of offering WhatsApp calls will allow a lot of users to connect in a better way. Additionally, a lot of users who aren’t comfortable with sending messages will be able to communicate effectively.