New Delhi, Apr 29: WhatsApp on Tuesday said it will now allow up to eight people to connect on a group video call as an increasing number of people turn to digital platforms to connect with friends and family amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Facebook-owned company said over the last month, people on average are spending over 15 billion minutes talking each day on WhatsApp calls, well above a typical day before the pandemic.
"...we see that people all over the world are turning to voice and video calling on WhatsApp more than ever before. Group calling has been particularly useful and our users have asked to connect with more people at once," WhatsApp said in a blogpost.
Starting Tuesday, the company is doubling the number of participants one can have on a WhatsApp video or voice call from 4 to 8 people at a time, it added.
WhatsApp emphasised that like written messages, all calls on its platform 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," it added.
Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths
WhatsApp said that to access the new, higher participant limit on WhatsApp calls, all participants in a call need to update to the latest version of WhatsApp available on iPhone or Android.
Video calling tools like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and others have also seen a significant jump in userbase and traffic as people connect while maintaining social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, Facebook had introduced Messenger Rooms that will soon hold up to 50 people with no time limit.
It had added that the company will also add ways to create rooms from Instagram Direct, WhatsApp and Portal.
Noting that between WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day, Facebook had said, adding that video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more than doubled in many countries.
Also, views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos have also increased significantly in March, it said.
Comments
The actual FACT is during Independence and Partition of India & Pakistan, British as usual left a piece of land so that there will be no peace between India & Pakistan (in-case if they join Hands they will become Super Power of the World). The only solution for Peace to Prevail is leave Kashmir to their people. Let them decide which part of Kashmir they want to stay, make partition, I know this won't be done as for political GAINS, Let the families of Politician start living in Kashmir and feel how it is to lose a loved ones. Just by blaming Pundits and Muslims wont work. Killing innocent people by either side is just to brainwash the Public and to keep the rivalry alive on the basis of religion and country.
Malala , you have yourself experienced how inhuman and ruthlessly atrocious Pakistan Government is. As they manipulated you and your family’s circumstances to harass, they are exploiting and manipulating India’s freeness and all-inclusiveness to keep Kashmir and its denizens in constant turmoil to get pleasure from other’s pain. They are doing same to Baluchistanis since partition and the Kashmiries of Pakistan held area are extremely unhappy and are in totters due to this policy of Pakistan.
Its Pakistan's fault not Indians....Pakistan should stop sending terrorists to India ...which is not happening at all....that is why Kashmiris suffering around there...
Malala should advise Pakistan government first not to involve with our domestic problems....
It is good for Kashmiris if they stay with India as far as their security and economic developments are concerned...
True that Malala has suffered beyond our imagination and came out of it bravely. But that doesn't make her an expert in everything.
Dear Malala, Can you please talk about the inhumanity and heartbreak in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan?
Malala Request you to please stay peaceful and stay happy and not say things that don't fit into ur vocab pls.
I didn't really used to like her but now my respect for her has gone up a lot.
Do you live in delusional world..what should paramilitary forces do if someone is breaking law and order of any country
Lets hope this time her voice will be heard as she has won Noble Prize for PEACE. Lets wish that India will keep Human Life above her EGO and will look Kashmir with HUMAN eye before there is no solution left
Dear Malala, Surely New Delhi government and Kashmiri people need to work together. Your concern is respected.
India in committing a genocide in Kashmir by killing innocent people SC must take notice of this.
As much as I admire Malala, I hate to see her get into Politics and Indo-Pak disputes. There are enough noises being made, or have been made, to no end.
please advise the kids to stop pelting stones and focus on studies to snatch the opportunities from rapidly growing Indian economy.
Thank you Malala for raising your voice in our support.
Since you are an influential opinion maker, I hope the world listen to you and stop the perpetrator from committing these atrocities against us.
Malalaji, Welcome to politics.
Dear Malala we respect you. But it is not government of India or Pakistan decide the future of Kashmir. There are some third parties who really want disturbance or conflict in the valley.
Trolls across the border always loved everything Malala spoke about. I hope they do the same now and accept stark reality!
Thank You Malala, for your kind words and care about Kashmiris
She is a teenage girl with little understanding of the dynamics of terrorism inspite of being a victim of it herself. The valley has been infected by the terror virus with religion which drove away the natural inhabitants of Pandits from Kashmir being hounded from mosque sermons. Many got murdered and not so lucky to escape. No one thought of their rights, now a generation has spent the life as refugee. Neither India nor local Kashmir government or the world body cares to it. However Pakistan terror export looks working well, but it is always the civilian who pays the price.
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