With a significant boost to its video calling capabilities, WhatsApp has revealed that users can now watch videos together while on the phone. This enhances the screen-sharing function that was unveiled in August of last year.
The maximum number of participants in a video call on WhatsApp has been raised to 32 on all devices.
Before this, the maximum number of participants for Windows and macOS users was eight, while the limit for mobile users was thirty-two.
This puts WhatsApp in line with Apple FaceTime, which can accommodate up to 32 users.
The speaker spotlight, a noteworthy new feature, makes sure the person speaking in a video conversation is visible on the screen by automatically highlighting them.
The parent company of WhatsApp, Meta, has also released the Meta Low Bitrate (MLow) codec to enhance call dependability, particularly on older devices or in low-network conditions.
With 10% less computing complexity than Opus, the previous codec, MLow claims twice the audio quality.
To improve calling experiences across Meta platforms, this codec which is already in use on Instagram and Messenger calls is also being rolled out on WhatsApp.
According to WhatsApp, all qualified users will have access to these updates throughout the upcoming weeks.
