Already in mid-April, there were clear indications that WhatsApp enables group video calls with eight participants. Now Facebook has confirmed the function and announced an update. The function had already been discovered in a beta version.
From experience, however, appearing in beta does not mean that a new function that has been tested in a beta test will ultimately find its way to the user. Facebook has now ended speculation on the topic and in the announcement of “Messenger Rooms,” Facebook has now also confirmed that the group video calls to WhatsApp are being expanded.
The Facebook newsroom now says:
“Extending WhatsApp group calls: WhatsApp calls are another way to stay in touch. Soon you can make group voice and video calls in WhatsApp with up to eight people. As before, these calls are secured with end-to-end encryption, so no one else can see or hear your private conversation, not even WhatsApp. “
More information is still pending. It is not known when an update will come, so users can try out the enlarged video calls. But one thing is clear: the developers are in a hurry. Because during the corona crisis, private users who otherwise use WhatsApp also migrate to other providers to take advantage of the possibility of large video conferences in the family.
Alternatively: Messenger Rooms
As an alternative to the WhatsApp group calls there will also be a solution for the new messenger rooms. According to Facebook, the “rooms” can be started with up to 50 users, whereby this function is not only added to Facebook directly, but also to Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal. There is still no specific start date for this.
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