WhatsApp first hinted it would let users make free calls to each other early last year.
Now Android users can make voice calls and the feature will come to other Operating Systems soon.
The latest version of the popular messaging app also has a cleaner layout with three tabs for contacts, chats and calls.
Users simply have to click on the ‘Calls’ tab and choose a contact to phone a friend at no cost.
However this only works between WhatsApp users and it relies on an internet connection.
The update hasn’t yet been confirmed by the Mountain View, California-based company, but users of the app have taken to Twitter to confirm its appearance on their Android handsets.
However, some people say they cannot see the update, which is available from the Google Play Store or WhatsApp’s site, indicating that it may not have rolled out everywhere yet.
The ‘Calls’ feature requires an internet connection and works in a similar way to how Skype connects web-based calls – a service known as ‘voice over internet protocol’ or VoIP.
Other messaging apps, including Viber, already offer free voice and video calls to users, and it’s believed WhatsApp’s update is designed to rival such services.
WHAT IS VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VOIP)?
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) lets people make free, or low cost, telephone calls over the web.
Popular VoIP services include Viber and Skype.
VoIP can be used anywhere in the world and can call landline and mobile numbers.
