Madhurima
NEW DELHI: Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday doubled the number of participants which can be added in a video or voice call from four to eight people at a time on its platform.
To access the new limit on WhatsApp calls, all participants in a call got to update to the newest version of WhatsApp available on iPhone or Android.
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Over the last month, people on an average scale are spending over 15 billion minutes talking every day on WhatsApp calls, well above a typical day before the pandemic, said the tech company.
"Just like written messages, all those calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. we have built group calling in a way that makes it available for as many users as possible, including people on lower-end devices and slow network conditions," WhatsApp said during a statement.
In the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing times, more people are turning to voice and video calling on WhatsApp and other platforms.
Facebook last week announced Messenger Rooms which will allow group video calls of up to 50 people. In Facebook Messenger Rooms, the users can post links in their News Feed or in Groups or event pages.
When a room is created, anyone can join via their browser, though hosts can choose to "lock" rooms to new guests to stop party crashers.
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"We know people might want alternative ways to connect while they're stuck at home, which is why WhatsApp is additionally available on (video calling device) Portal," informed WhatsApp.
According to the tech giant, over 700 million people are making calls on Messenger and WhatsApp daily.
