Amidst the recent Coronavirus pandemic, WhatsApp had decided to make some key changes that would benefit people under quarantine. So, the developer team of WhatsApp has increased the level of adding people to a video call.
The feature has been implemented so that people can continue the work having several people in the video conference. That being said, previously, WhatsApp had only allowed a limitation of 4 people to participate in video calling. Now, the limit has been increased to 8 people. The feature has been set to release for the latest Android beta versions and iOS models.
So, if a user is interested in trying the new feature, the requirements would be 2.20.50.25 for Beta versions of iOS models. And, for Android users, the version should be 2.20.133 which can be availed from the Google Play Store.
That being said, the participates of the video call must have the same version. Otherwise, the participant won’t be able to join in.
Important Notice on the New Feature
To use the new feature, users must update the WhatsApp version for Android and iOS. If the users have already updated the latest version, they might not see the feature. In that case, reinstalling would be a viable option.
Users must back up their chats and media and then proceed to uninstall it. Then, the new version can be downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store.
This can be a helpful solution because reinstalling the application implies that the default configuration is downloaded and recent changes are added.
More Changes Added in its New Update
Along with the new feature, there are some changes that have been implemented in the WhatsApp Application. Previously the call button in groups, upon tapping, would call the person upon choosing from the group. After the update, now upon tapping the call button of the group, all the participants will be ringed instead of manually choosing them.
That being said, during the first few days of the April month, the development team was working on making this feature possible. The test was carried on adding 4 people in the video call. Along with that, testing of the user interface was also done. Now, the test has been successfully carried out and the feature is ready.
Limitations
If a user is interested in making a group voice call or group video call, then there are precisely two easy ways to do it. The first way is to simply go to the group in which you want to call the participants. Then, you must check how many participants are there in the call.
If the group consisting of more than 4 people, then you will get a prompt from Whatsapp, asking which contacts would you like to add for placing the call? If you do not select them manually, then WhatsApp will directly cal all the individuals of the group.
Now, the second way to place a group call is by going to the “Call” tab and then tapping on the button called “Call” icon. From there, you can choose the option called “New group call”. Once you’ve done that, you can select the individual from the group and then place the call.
However, there is one thing that you must keep in mind. The group calling feature of 8 people is not applicable for those who are not registered with WhatsApp. This means if you want to add someone from the phone address book who does not have WhatsApp installed, then it won’t be possible.
There is also a concern for people who are reporting that they are unable to use the feature despite all the attempts. It’s only been a few moments since the time of its release. If you don’t get it in the first hour of its release, you can keep trying for the next few hours. Eventually, you will get the feature working.
