The messaging app Telegram has announced its video call feature for users that is end-to-end encrypted. It is at present available in alpha mode on its Android and iOS versions of the app. The new feature of Telegram will challenge its biggest rival company Whatsapp.
Telegram is an Indian instant messaging app. Whatsapp is already very popular in India but Telegram is also gaining its position, especially when the Indian government is insisting the citizens use indigenous technologies.
The current situations have forced everyone to increase physical distance and keep in touch with others virtually. So, to attract users and prevent them from shifting to other apps, it was of utmost importance for Telegram to start the video calling feature. Now Telegram will become a closer competitor of Whatsapp.
The company said that the users can start a video call from their contact’s profile page. While a voice call is running, the Telegram users can switch on or off the video at any moment. The video calls support picture-in-picture mode like all other contents of a video and allows scrolling through chats and multi-tasks where eye contact will be made possible.
To protect user’s data, all video calls will be encrypted on the app.
The company stated that in order to authorize your linking, liken the 4 emoji show on your screen and the screen of your chat mate- if they are the same, your call is completely protected by time-tested encryption also utilized in Telegram’s hush-hush chat sessions as well as Voice Calls. Security is the main priority while using an app. End-to-end encryption is something that makes a user trust the app more when they engage in private activities.
Telegram is celebrating seven years of its service and to mark it they have also inserted some more animated emojis along with the video call feature in their app.
When users will send a message with one of the emoticons the app already has, they will get to see the new animated ones and can use them from then on.