WHATSAPP has expanded the maximum number of people who can take part in a video call at the same time – doubling the previous limit of four simultaneous callers. Just as before, these video calls will be end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp has announced a huge boost for its built-in video calling feature. That should make the chat app, which is currently the most popular messaging service worldwide with more than two billion unique users, a more viable alternative to the likes of Zoom, Houseparty, FaceTime and Skype for conference calls, or catch-ups with friends and family.
WhatsApp Messenger is confirmed to be doubling the number of participants allowed in the group calls. With this, WhatsApp group calls will now support up to 8 people, up from four right now. The change was first spotted in the recent beta version of WhatsApp Messenger on both Android and iPhone, and now Facebook, the parent company of WhatsApp, has officially announced the change and revealed the timeline of when the increased group call participants limit can be expected.
In a post on Facebook, the social giant’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the upcoming change to WhatsApp group calls.
“More than 700 million daily actives use WhatsApp and Messenger for calling. In many countries, calling has doubled since the Covid-19 outbreak began, wrote Zuckerberg. “To help you stay connected with your whole family and groups of friends, we’re doubling the number of people who can participate in a group video call from 4 to 8 on WhatsApp.”
Available on both iPhone and Android, the new update will allow eight people to chat simultaneously on the same call. Of course, WhatsApp is still lagging behind some of its rivals, including Google Duo (supports 12 in a single call), FaceTime (supports 32) and Zoom (up to 500 with its priciest add-on). However, it brings WhatsApp in-line with Houseparty, which has exactly the same call limit.
As before, all video calls in WhatsApp are secured with end-to-end encryption so no one else can view or listen to your private conversation – not even WhatsApp itself.
The new update couldn’t have come at a better time. As millions stay home in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus across the world, video call apps have become increasingly popular as a way to stay in touch with friends and family members.
WhatsApp Video Call
Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has introduced a new cross-platform solution, known as Messenger Rooms, which lets you bring in contacts from across a range of Facebook-owned messaging services, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and more.
For those who want to chat with much, much more than eight people in a single call, Messenger Rooms will allow up to 50 people to chat simultaneously. This all-new video call feature makes it easy to drop-in and drop-out and chat with up to 50 people.
Conclusion
The company released a statement saying, “Between WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day. In many countries, video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more than doubled, and views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly in March.” The launch of additional participants on WhatsApp and Messenger is aimed at taking on other popular options like Zoom, Houseparty that surged in popularity after lockdowns were imposed on a global scale.
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