WhatsApp is focusing on stepping up its calling experience, which we could see in the coming days. The messaging platform has been spotted testing a built-in noise cancellation feature for voice and video calls, according to a recent report. The feature was recently discovered in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.26.11.8.
According to WABetaInfo, this feature is expected to be released in a future update, with an additional layer of clarity anticipated to be brought to conversations.
How WhatsApp noise cancellation works
If you have ever been on a call where honking cars or loud chatter make it nearly impossible to hear the other person, that’s where noise cancellation comes in to solve the problem. The technology works by listening to all the sounds around you — then intelligently filtering out the ones that don’t belong, like traffic rumbling in the background, wind interference, or people chatting nearby. What’s left is just your voice, crisp and clear.
In simple terms, it isolates what matters and mutes what doesn’t — all in real-time, so the person on the other end only hears you, no matter how noisy your surroundings are.
Apple devices, including iPhone and iPad, already offer a built-in Voice Isolation feature that filters out background noise during calls — and WhatsApp can tap into this through its audio settings. Android, however, has no such native system in place.
This is precisely where WhatsApp’s built-in noise cancellation could make a real difference, stepping in to fill the gap for Android users. While nothing is confirmed just yet, it is very likely that WhatsApp is working to bring this capability to Android as well — and an announcement may not be too far off.
However, WhatsApp’s noise cancellation feature will not affect end-to-end encryption. The entire process happens directly on your device — background noise is filtered out at the microphone level before the audio is encrypted and transmitted.
It is worth noting that users will have full control over the feature — noise cancellation can be toggled off at any time directly from the calling menu. For now, the feature is still under development, and once testing is wrapped up, WhatsApp is expected to roll it out to beta testers in the near future.
