WhatsApp video call limit officially doubled to eight people
WhatsApp video call limit officially doubled to eight people
Facebook has confirmed that the limit on WhatsApp voice and video call participants is being doubled from four to eight.
The company hopes to lure back users swayed by the higher capacity calls available within Houseparty, Zoom and other alternatives, promising the added security of end-to-end encryption, which the aforementioned apps cannot yet offer.
Those other services offer a greater number of participants to groups and plenty of fun features, but for some security-minded users, the added levels of encryption will tip the scales back in WhatsApp’s favour. Facebook says the feature is coming soon, but didn’t announce precisely when it will be rolling out.
“WhatsApp calls are another way to stay in touch,” the company said, somewhat stating the obvious. “Soon you’ll be able to have group voice and video calls with up to eight people on WhatsApp. As before, these calls are secured with end-to-end encryption so no one else can view or listen to your private conversation, not even WhatsApp.”
Related: Is Zoom safe?
The social network confirmed the increase within a blog post announcing a range of new group call features, such as the new 50-person video conferences dubbed Messenger Rooms and a new one-on-one option for Facebook dating. As part of Messenger Rooms, WhatsApp and Instagram Direct users will also be able to participate in the video chats, with Facebook saying it’ll be adding a means of commencing them through WhatsApp in the coming months.
The announcement comes after a report from WABetaInfo earlier this week, which predicted the change after it delved into the latest beta versions of the app. Once again, the sleuths have been proven themselves as the most reliable indicator of new features coming to WhatsApp.
Do you prioritise security or functionality when video calling during this era of social distancing? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
