Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday doubled the number of participants in a video or voice call from four to eight people at a time on its platform.

To access the new limit on WhatsApp calls, all participants in a call need to update to the latest version of WhatsApp available on iPhone or Android.

Over the last month, people on average are spending over 15 billion minutes talking each day on WhatsApp calls, well above a typical day before the pandemic, said the company.

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"Just like written messages, all those calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. We have built group calling in a way that makes it available for as many users as possible, including people on lower-end devices and slow network conditions," WhatsApp said in a statement.

In the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing times, more people are turning to voice and video calling on WhatsApp and other platforms.

Facebook last week announced Messenger Rooms that will allow group video calls of up to 50 people. In Facebook Messenger Rooms, the users can post links in their News Feed or in Groups or event pages.

When a room is created, anyone can join via their browser, though hosts can opt to "lock" rooms to new guests to prevent party crashers.

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"We know people may want different ways to connect while they're at home, which is why WhatsApp is also available on (video calling device) Portal," informed WhatsApp.
According to the company, over 700 million people are making calls on Messenger and WhatsApp daily. (IANS)