Telegram has always been seen as the immediate alternative to WhatsApp when it comes to messaging. The messaging app has more features than the Facebook-owned app, but there has always been one major thing lacking– video calling.
2020 highlighted the need for face-to-face communication, and Telegram is finally releasing its alpha version of the video calling feature on both Android and iOS. You can start a video call from your contact’s profile page, and switch video on or off at any time during voice calls. Like all other video content on Telegram, video calls support picture-in-picture mode, allowing users to scroll through chats and multitask while maintaining eye contact.
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All Telegram video calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. In order to confirm a connection, a user will have to compare the four emoji shown on-screen for them and their chat partner – if they match, your call is 100% secured by time-tested encryption also used in Telegram’s Secret Chats and Voice Calls. You can find more details on here.
Telegram promises that video calls will receive more features and improvements in future versions, as they work toward launching group video calls in the coming months. But for this midyear milestone, users can now enjoy a little one-on-one time with those closest to them, whether they’re in the other room or on another continent.
Telegram exceeds 500 million downloads in the Play Store
Back in May, Telegram exceeded 500 million downloads from the Google Play Store in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the app is not pre-installed on devices like other messaging applications, this is an incredible step for Telegram.
However, the app still has a long way to go to catch up with its competitors. WhatsApp, which belongs to Facebook, recently reached five billion downloads, and Google Messages reached one billion downloads.
Telegram has been able to successfully compete with other applications because it has end-to-end encryption. There is an increasing number of users are becoming aware of this due to the growing privacy concerns.
