Telegram, a popular messaging application that competes with WhatsApp, has added support for 1,000-person group video calls, giving it a viable alternative to existing video chatting applications. Telegram has also enhanced video messaging, screen sharing, video playback, and other features.
Despite the rise of competitors, Telegram has demonstrated why it is so popular. The company’s latest video update, which comes just weeks after it launched capability for group video chats, allows up to 1,000 individuals to join a single group video conference.
During these calls, only 30 individuals can broadcast their own video, including screen-sharing, but up to 1,000 people can watch the content. Telegram promises it will keep raising this number until virtually everyone on the planet can join a group video call, at which time it will broadcast itself yodeling to celebrate the milestone.
Video Messages 2.0 has been added to this update. Telegram claims that video messages will now be shared in high definition and that viewers will be able to expand them by tapping them. Users will be able to rewind and fast-forward these videos by tapping them.
Other enhancements include the ability to capture video while your device’s audio is still playing, allowing you to film yourself singing along to a song, for example. Video playback speed settings have been added as well, ranging from 0.5x to 2x.
Screen sharing for one-on-one video chats (including audio from whoever is broadcasting), the ability to auto-delete messages after a month the longest option was previously a week, and more precise drawing are among the other new features. Telegram has also added animations to the passcode screen and when sending messages on Android; similar message animations were previously available to iOS users in a previous version. Visit Telegram’s blog for a complete list of changes.