DHAKA: If media reports are to be believed, mobile messaging service WhatsApp is set to launch a free voice calling feature for its 600 million monthly active users.
A website claiming to have obtained images of the upcoming voice calling-based interface of the app suggests the feature is coming soon, reports NDTV.
"The leaked images of the upcoming user interface shows that the app has been enabled with other language translations which will be displayed at the time a person receives a call via WhatsApp," the report added.
The translation feature available in the latest version of WhatsApp has made it clear that the voice-calling plugin is on its way.
While the voice calling feature is all set to be released on WhatsApp, however, there is no update if there is going to be a similar feature on Facebook.
This is not the first time the voice calling feature has been tipped to arrive soon on WhatsApp.
CEO Jan Koum himself promised the feature at MWC for a Q2 2014 launch. "We are going to introduce voice in WhatsApp in the second quarter of this year. I think we have the best voice product out there. We use the least amount of bandwidth."
Koum at MWC said the voice service will be deployed for Android and iPhone this spring, with Blackberry and Microsoft and Nokia phones coming later.
Soon after this announcement, a leak revealed the company had already begun testing the feature, with the service being spotted in screenshots of Hindi translation requests.
Screenshots of the translation requests, visible to people who volunteer to do translations for WhatsApp, had showed various strings that are required to be translated for Hang up, Incoming call, and Outgoing call.
Since the translating of UI elements is normally one of the last stages in app development, it was then expected the voice calling feature would come quite soon - however, the service is to roll-out, nearly 5 months later.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp has witnessed a 15 percent rise in its traffic since the acquisition.
WhatsApp has crossed 50 million active users in India alone.
BDST: 1503 HRS, SEP 02, 2014
