đź“Ł WhatsApp Business API Calling: Voice Takes Centre Stage
Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform is evolving. As of July 2025, businesses can now both initiate and receive voice calls via the official API, marking a major shift for customer communication on WhatsApp.
👉 Meta’s announcement
🧠A Game‑Changer for Business Communication
Previously, businesses could only message customers on WhatsApp. Now, with the WhatsApp Business Calling API, voice becomes an integral part of the conversation. Whether customers tap the call icon to start a call—or businesses request to call them—everything happens within the same messaging thread.
For developers and product managers, this represents a major upgrade in omnichannel messaging strategy, as voice and chat now co-exist natively.
No switching apps. No fractured history. Voice and chat now live in the same thread—context intact.
🎧 How It Works – Inbound & Outbound
🔹 Customer-Initiated (Inbound) Calls
Users can tap a call button or deep‑link from a website or QR code to start a voice call with the business.
🔹 Business-Initiated Calls (Outbound)
Businesses can only initiate calls after getting user opt‑in:
- A request is sent via WhatsApp message
- Limit: 1 request per 24 hours, 2 per 7 days
- Once accepted, the business has 72 hours to complete the call
This ensures compliance with WhatsApp’s Business Policy, while giving enterprises real-time customer voice access.
🔗 Here’s a practical guide to WhatsApp API call flow for integration teams.
âś… Why This Matters to Businesses
Personalised Conversations
Voice adds nuance, empathy and clarity to customer interactions. It’s especially powerful in industries that rely on high-touch support, such as financial services, insurance, and healthcare.
Learn more about the benefits of VoIP in customer support and how voice can improve resolution rates.
Streamlined Experience
Customers stay in one app—from enquiry to resolution. This tight integration means brands can finally deliver on the promise of seamless CX (customer experience) in messaging-first channels.
Verified and Branded
Calls show verified business names, logos and details—just like WhatsApp Business profiles, enhancing trust and reducing spam concerns.
đź› Use Cases & Industry Disruption
- Sales handovers: Messaging to voice allows reps to close deals faster.
- Tech support: Resolve complex issues live, then document the case in chat.
- Healthcare consults: Secure, real-time triage and appointment confirmations.
đź›’ Industries like eCommerce are already piloting WhatsApp voice calls to convert hesitant buyers and offer real-time customer support.
This new feature positions WhatsApp as a potential competitor to traditional VoIP providers, especially for small businesses and mid-market enterprises that rely on cloud support systems.
⚙️ Developer Readiness & API Integration
You’ll need:
- A registered WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)
- A WhatsApp BSP (e.g. Twilio, Infobip, 360dialog)
- API configuration to manage opt-in, call templates, and call routing
Calls can be embedded in chatbots or smart IVRs, and tracked via webhooks for analytics.
Support for Android/iOS SDKs and web dashboards is gradually expanding.
Developers can read Twilio’s WhatsApp Calling API documentation for code samples and use case logic.
For platforms like Siperb, which focus on VoIP, softphones, and PBX integration, this signals a critical shift:
- Messaging platforms are encroaching on traditional SIP softphone use-cases
- Businesses may replace basic call routing solutions with WhatsApp-native calls
- The competitive edge lies in offering hybrid support models that combine API calls, SIP, and chat in one UX flow
For a comparison between SIP-based and API-based calling, this SIP vs VoIP breakdown is useful for strategic planning.
🧵 Final Thoughts
The addition of voice calling to the WhatsApp Business API marks a paradigm shift in how companies can connect with customers. One platform, two modes of conversation, fully integrated and fully branded.
This development doesn’t just blur the lines between VoIP and messaging—it redraws them entirely.
We’d love your questions or comments on today’s topic!
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Thought for the day:
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill
