What you need to know
- WhatsApp is looking to expand its limit on group audio and video calls.
- The latest betas for the app suggest the limit will be increased from the current four per call.
- In addition, the app will soon start displaying a new banner that alerts users that calls are end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp is looking to capitalize on the current demand for virtual communication by expanding its limits on group calls. While the company currently only allows four participants per audio or video call, WABetaInfo reports that the latest betas for the app on both iOS and Android indicate the company is looking to change that.
The publication suggests that the change will be live within the next few weeks, though it was unable to determine exactly what the new limit of call participants would be. Moreover, in order to avail the new limit, all participants will need to be on the latest version of the app.
Alongside this, and perhaps as a result of Zoom's public failures with security, the company will modify the call UI to more prominently display the fact that calls made on the platform are end-to-end encrypted. This particular change is already live in the latest betas for both iOS and Android, meaning a stable release should be right around the corner.
Other new features that are currently in the works include better search capabilities for Android devices (the feature, called Advanced Search, is already available on iOS), password protection for Google Drive chat backups, and new rules which prevent frequently forwarded messages from downloading automatically.
