WhatsApp has a new ‘Call waiting’ feature for Android phones. The new call-waiting feature on WhatsApp currently works on for version 2.19.352 of stable release and versions 2.19.357/2.19.358 on beta channels. You can thus get it only by updating the WhatsApp app on your Android device.
What is call waiting?
If you get a second call on WhatsApp while already being on a call, your phone will ring and will notify you about the second call.
You will then be greeted with two buttons – Decline and End & Accept. Tapping ‘Decline’ will reject the second call. Pressing on End & Accept will terminate the first call and connect you to the second caller.
RELATED: How to get the call wait on WhatsApp
Can you hold a call on WhatsApp
The latest update changes more than one feature about calls on WhatsApp. Prior to the update, if someone tried to call you on WhatsApp when you were already on a WhatsApp call, they were greeted with a busy tone. When we tested this on our device after the new WhatsApp update, the second caller no longer gets a busy tone. Instead, the sound has been changed to that of a normal ringing tone.
To answer if WhatsApp now supports call holding simply, it would be a NO. Unlike calling over the phone, WhatsApp still doesn’t let you hold the first call while to switch over to the second caller and vice versa. There’s no option to merge the incoming call with the first call and convert it to a conference call either.
However, you can hold the second caller without declining their call, which on some occasions would translate to hanging up on them.
How to hold a call on WhatsApp (only works on the second caller)
In theory, you can only use call holding on the second caller by silencing the ring when you’re receiving the second call. You can silence the ringer by pressing either of the volume buttons when you receive a WhatsApp call.
Upon doing so, the second caller wouldn’t know if you were on another call, neither can they confirm that the call was being intentionally ignored. You can then continue to keep talking to the first caller, without the ringing sound.
RELATED: