As expected, WhatsApp has increased its user limit for group video and voice calls to 8 participants at a time, while keep the calls end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp is a trusted platform among users due to its end-to-end encryption for text messaging and calling services. As the pandemic has been spreading worldwide and people observe isolation in their homes, their need for social connectivity continues to grow.
There are other video calling services offering user limits between 12-100 users which ultimately led some WhatsApp users to switch over to them for mass-calling other users. Here’s a list of them:
- HouseParty: 8-person limit.
- Google Duo: 12-person limit.
- Facetime: 32-person limit.
- Skype: 50-person limit.
- Messenger Rooms: 50-person limit.
- Zoom’s free tier: 100-person limit.
There were rumors last week about WhatsApp’s new update to increase the limit of users per call due to increased demand. Now that WhatsApp’s new iOS update is available, users can add up to 8 people in their group audio/video calls.
WhatsApp group calls with 8 users
Instead of four people, WhatsApp calls can now have eight users in a group call. In order to reach the new limit, all users must be running the latest update of the app on their phones. There are two ways group calls can be initiated:
- Users can create a group on WhatsApp and call all participants, or perform the same function in a pre-existing group. However, not more than 8 participants can join the group call.
- Users can also add users to one-on-one calls by clicking on Add Participants > Select the contact you want to add.
The new update is available on iOS but not on Google Play Store yet. However, if you are an Android user and want the update sooner, head over to the official website and download the APK file directly from there. The update is expected to arrive very soon on Google Play Store as well.
If you need help in making group calls, check out our guide on how to make WhatsApp group calls.
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