WhatsApp Announces Improved Video Calling Features for Mobile and Desktop Apps 6p34z Technology News

WhatsApp will also introduce a new speaker spotlight feature to highlight participants speaking in a group video call. 6w5m5m

Written by David Delima | Updated: 14 June 2024 12:00 IST

WhatsApp Announces Improved Video Calling Features for Mobile and Desktop Apps

Photo Credit: WhatsApp 2c6j4i

Mobile and desktop s will get these new features over the coming weeks, WhatsApp says

Highlights

WhatsApp now s up to 32 video call participants on all platforms
A new MLow codec improves call quality over poor internet connections
WhatsApp's features will roll out on mobile, desktop in the coming weeks

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WhatsApp announced several feature improvements related to video calling for mobile and desktop s on Thursday. The participant limit for group video calls has been expanded across platforms, allowing up to 32 to the same call, up from the previous limit of just eight participants allowed on the WhatsApp Desktop app. In addition to the expansion of the video calling feature, s can also share their audio when sharing their screen with other participants.

WhatsApp improves video calls across mobile and desktop apps 5y155a

In a blog post, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform explained that the latest update will bring improvements to screen sharing on the app. When watching videos with other participants while sharing their screen, a will also be able to share the audio playing, according to the company.

WhatsApp also revealed an increase in the number of participants who can video calls together. While up to 32 mobile s could the calls, the number was previously limited to eight for s on the desktop apps. It has now been made uniform across all devices and up to 32 participants can be part of a video, call irrespective of which platform a is ing from.

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A new ‘speaker spotlight' feature will also be introduced, highlighting the current speaker on a video call. In theory, it could prove to be useful when attending video calls in large groups, enabling s to easily identify the speaker without requiring them to go through the participant list.

WhatsApp says the new batch of features will be rolled out to s across mobile and desktop platforms in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp's new codec for audio calls k4w2c

In addition to the video calling features, Meta Platforms also introduced a new tool which aims to improve the call quality. The feature – known as Meta Low Bitrate (MLow) codec – helps compress the audio/video captured for efficient transfer over the internet, according to Meta.

Although compression often comes at a cost of quality, Meta says the MLow codec is an upgrade over the previous open source Opus codec and can improve the audio quality, especially on slow-speed connections. This codec was already available on other Meta platforms such as Messenger, and is now being rolled out to WhatsApp.

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Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More