WhatsApp is trying to reinvent voicemail

WhatsApp says it’s making “voicemails a thing of the past” by introducing a new feature that pretty much works like voicemail. Missed call messages are rolling out as part of WhatsApp’s latest feature drop, which makes it easier for you to leave voice or video notes in chats after you’ve called someone who doesn’t answer the phone.

When a contact misses your voice or video call, you’ll now be prompted to record a voice or video message (depending on the call type) without manually navigating to the microphone or camera options in the chat toolbar. WhatsApp doesn’t provide a traditional voicemail feature built into the actual calls, but these messages serve the same function. The platform is just leaning on its existing voice note and video recording features to provide a similar experience — one that missed call contacts will immediately see upon opening their chats.

This WhatsApp update is also adding additional features, including the ability to send reactions during voice chats, and a feature that automatically highlights whoever is speaking during video calls. Midjourney and Flux AI models are also now available in WhatsApp’s image generation tools, following Meta signing partnership deals with Midjourney and Black Forest Labs earlier this year.