Rumors about plans to introduce video calls in Telegram have been circulating on the Web for a very long time. Almost two months ago, owners of iOS devices got the opportunity to try them out by installing the beta version of the messenger, and now owners of Android devices can do it.
The latest Telegram beta version adds video calls on Android
An unexpected discovery was shared by an enthusiast from the XDA-Developers forum, who discovered the video calls feature in the beta version of Telegram, which can be accessed by installing the Telegram v7.0.0 apk file by clicking on the “three dots” button in the upper right corner of any chat window and selecting the “Video Call”. To make a call, the interlocutor must also install the beta version of the application on his device. A full release of the video calls function will take place in the next update.
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.
Gizchina News of the week
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.
Telegram features
The app also has cool features like cloud storage, folders and cross-platform support. Telegram has also won the loyalty of some users thanks to its desktop application. It does not require that users’ phones should connect to operate.
Earlier, Telegram said it was working on setting up a secure video calling feature to compete with Zoom and Houseparty, but there are currently no details on when the feature will launch. Later, the Telegram team announced a new record – 400 million people worldwide use the app.
Regarding the group video call service; The company iterated that the current lockdown has made people quarantine themselves at home demanding a work from home situation. Hence, people are in need of a secure but faster communication feature. It further added that current video calling available in other apps are more of vanilla versions with either stability or usability being the standpoint. Hence, the company has assured that it would like to eliminate this concern. They are focusing on a Secure and also intuitive platform for Video Calling feature.
Additionally, the company also thanked the users for choosing a smart and free messaging community when others are offering mediocre features with high restrictions in customizations. It said that, with 1.5 million new users signing into it every day, Telegram has become the most downloaded social media application in more than 20 countries.
