WhatsApp continues to grow as a trusted platform with over 2 billion users worldwide. The app has been around for a long time and offers end-to-end encryption for text messaging and calling privacy. As we are relying more on video calls during isolation, WhatsApp has become one of the most popular apps to stay connected with family and friends. Therefore, the company is planning to increase its group call limit from 4 to 8 participants.
What can be expected from WhatsApp’s update?
According to Forbes, WABetaInfo on Twitter shared its discovery with the public about WhatsApp’s latest beta update. According to the latest code for an upcoming version of the app for iPhone, WhatsApp looks set to increase its limit for group calls. Of course, it’s possible that the new feature will arrive on Android in the future too, however, there’s no sign of the as-yet-unannounced feature in the code.
https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/1250846590014828545?s=20
There seems to be no mention of what the new participant limit for group calls will be. WABetaInfo reports that the code includes a warning message that will appear when trying to add people to a video call that states, “all participants need the latest version of WhatsApp for calls with %D people.” Hopefully, the company will soon reveal what number “%D” equates.
WhatsApp appears to have big plans to boost its group video call. That should make the chat app a more viable alternative to the likes of Zoom, Houseparty, FaceTime, and Skype for conference calls or catch-ups with friends and family.
However, there is a slight issue with the app’s video calling services. The number of people who can join in a video call is currently just four. Given the vast number of people already using the app to host group video and audio calls, the ability to immediately hit a button and launch a video with everyone could be a huge win for the Facebook-owned firm, and bad news for Houseparty, Zoom, and Google Meet, which recently expanded its video call capabilities as well.
In the update WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp is working on group calls with up to 8 participants for iOS and Android beta versions.
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