Your WhatsApp calls may soon appear in Google Phone’s call log. The Meta-owned messaging app appears to be testing this integration among a small group of users. A wider rollout should follow shortly, depending on the outcome of the test.
WhatsApp tests call long integration with Google Phone
X, formerly Twitter, user @Kishore9196 recently shared a screenshot of a call log from Google’s Phone app on their Android smartphone. Along with regular phone calls, the log lists an entry from WhatsApp. While details are scarce, it is clear that WhatsApp is testing an integration with the Phone app. The latter will show call logs from the messaging app with a “WhatsApp” tag so you can easily distinguish regular phone calls.
The user says they are using the beta versions of WhatsApp and Phone, v124.0.608164421 and v2.24.6.6, respectively. However, some other users also claim to spot WhatsApp call logs on Google Phone without signing up for beta testing. A few spotted an integrated call log as early as December 2023. This suggests WhatsApp has been testing this change for a long time, but still hasn’t rolled it out widely.
According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, this is an existing Android feature and not something developed by WhatsApp or Google Phone. “Since Android 9, third-party calling apps could opt-in to have calls logged in the system call log,” he said quoting the original X post. Essentially, the feature can bring call logs from any messaging app (Telegram, Signal, Viber, and others) to any phone app, not just Google Phone.
This means WhatsApp is playing with this optional feature for its Android app. Apple’s iPhones already show call logs from other apps in the system phone app. You can directly initiate a voice or video call through third-party apps from the iPhone’s native phone app. WhatsApp wants to bring the same ability to Android. Note that an integration with Google Phone or any other phone app won’t remove call logs from WhatsApp.
A future update may bring this integration
If WhatsApp is serious about bringing call logs to the system log, it may soon begin wider testing. You can try your luck by signing up for the beta program on the Google Play Store, though it doesn’t guarantee access to the feature. A future update for the app should bring the integration to all WhatsApp users globally. We will let you know when we have more information.
