Big Update for WhatsApp Business: Voice Calls and AI Are Coming Together

Meta is giving WhatsApp Business a major upgrade. Starting this week, large businesses on the platform will be able to make and receive voice calls with customers, opening the door for AI-powered voice agents in the near future.

Until now, only small business accounts had access to voice features. But with this update, larger businesses will get access via the WhatsApp Business API in the coming weeks.

Voice Features for Business Just Got Smarter

Here’s what’s changing for WhatsApp Business users:

• Large businesses can now place and receive voice calls

• Voice messages between businesses and customers are also coming soon

• Businesses can use AI voice agents from companies like Vapi, ElevenLabs, Coval, or Phonic

These changes will allow brands to build automated voice pipelines for customer service. Think: calling a brand and speaking with an AI assistant that helps answer your questions or process orders.

AI-Powered Product Recommendations Are on the Way

Meta is also exploring new ways to use AI to recommend products on merchant websites and directly within WhatsApp chats.

Here’s how it might work:

1. A customer chats with a brand via WhatsApp

2. Meta’s AI recommends a product based on the conversation

3. The AI can follow up with answers or updates, creating a more helpful shopping experience

This AI recommendation feature is similar to what many startup platforms already do, but now it’s coming to a platform with over 200 million monthly active users.

AI Chat Support Expands in Mexico

Meta isn’t stopping at voice.

The company is also expanding its AI-powered chat support, which was in testing last year, to more merchants in Mexico. This system allows businesses to automate customer responses and sales outreach, improving response time and availability.

A Closer Look at WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business has become an important part of Meta’s strategy:

• It has over 200 million monthly active users

• Meta makes money through click-to-WhatsApp ads and by charging businesses for messaging tools

• AI features are currently free, but Meta could eventually monetize them after scaling up

These updates show that Meta wants to make WhatsApp a powerful business and shopping tool, not just a chat app.

Key Takeaways

• Voice calls are now available for large businesses via WhatsApp Business API

• Voice messaging between businesses and customers is launching soon

• Businesses can set up AI voice agents for customer service

• AI-powered product recommendations are being developed to boost shopping experiences

• AI customer chat support is expanding, starting with more merchants in Mexico

• WhatsApp Business now supports over 200 million users, and is becoming a core revenue stream for Meta

Final Thoughts

Meta is clearly betting big on AI and voice to improve how businesses connect with customers on WhatsApp. With voice calls, smarter chat tools, and product suggestions powered by AI, WhatsApp Business is fast becoming a central hub for conversational commerce.

As these features roll out, both small and large companies will be able to offer faster, smarter, and more personal service — all through the same app millions already use every day.

this article was originally published on https://techthrilled.com/big-update-for-whatsapp-business-voice-calls-and-ai-are-coming-together/