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Facebook acquisition WhatsApp is giving users more of what they want, with a new update that increases the video chat limit from four to eight people.
WhatsApp video chat limit climbs to eight in new update
WABetaInfo made the announcement on April 27th with the words, “The WhatsApp for Android web release allows now 8 participants in group calls!” Group video chats and group calls will see the new 8-person limit, up from the longstanding 4-person limit.
What this means is that users can have double the fun on WhatsApp with double the people. The more, the merrier, right?
Why the limit increase?
The current pandemic and social distancing rules worldwide have many employees working from home. Families aren’t able to gather for family reunions, vacation, and special occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries (or even weddings).
Facebook wants WhatsApp to remain on the competitive edge with other services such as its own Facebook Messenger, Skype, Zoom, and others. Increasing the video and group call limit will allow more family members and friends to connect online simultaneously.
Many video chat and call services have been considered luxuries in the past. The pandemic has everyone at home with no other means of communication outside of landline phones, smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart TV video chatting services. WhatsApp has a real opportunity to add to its user base while making veteran users even happier with the service.
How to get the new WhatsApp 8-person limit
The question on every user’s mind is, “how to get the new WhatsApp 8-person limit?” The new update is available for Android and iOS. However, Android users can only download the new update on the Web at the moment.
As WABetaInfo says, the update, coming in at version number 2.20.141, is only available as a web release. The official update from Google Play is not yet ready for primetime.
Still, interested Android users can head to WhatsApp on the web and grab the new update ahead of schedule. There could prove to be some bugs here and there, so waiting for the official Google Play release may be the best option.
How does WhatsApp stack up to other video chat/calling services?
WhatsApp provides for 8 people in its group calling and video chat. In contrast, Google’s Duo video chat and group calling app now supports 12 people at once. Google Duo supported the same number as WhatsApp now does last year. Skype increased its group chat/call limit from 25 to 50 people in April 2019.
Facebook has the video chat/group calling scene on lock. As of this week, the Zuckerberg-led company is introducing Facebook Messenger Rooms to allow up to 50 people to chat with no time limit.
Messenger Rooms users won’t even need to have the Facebook Messenger app downloaded to join in a video chat. Facebook says it plans to integrate Messenger Rooms with WhatsApp in the coming weeks.