Facebook’s messaging service WhatsApp is expanding its portfolio to include video calls. The new feature is being rolled out gradually and will “in the coming days” allow all users to access it, WhatsApp says in a blog entry.
End-to-end encryption is used to protect all video calls, the blog says. This means the conversations would only be visible to the devices of the participating users, while remaining unintelligible to WhatsApp itself.
The new feature will be available on phones with Google’s Android operating system, on Apple’s iPhones and Microsoft’s Windows Phones.
WhatsApp has more than a billion users and has replaced text messaging for many.
WhatsApp first enabled voice chatting through its application, an addictive option that lets you use your smartphone walkie-talkie style, recording short bursts of speech (“hold to record, release to send”) and receiving replies if your partner inclines to respond.
Then voice calls followed with a phone symbol, raising speculation WhatsApp would seek to upgrade to the video-calling technology.
Facebook’s other app – the Facebook Messenger – has it already, but that feature doesn’t come with full encryption.
Competition among video calling apps is growing fiercer. In addition to the pioneers such as Skype, which is now part of Microsoft, Apple offers FaceTime between its own devices, while Google has recently launched the similar app Duo.
Wire, a messager specializing in encryption, introduced video calling earlier this year.
WhatsApp, which is running strong in Germany as well as developing countries and emerging markets, but lags Messenger elsewhere, is aiming at an overarching approach.
“We want to make these features available to everyone, not just those who can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks,” the blog said.
WhatsApp recently hit the headlines with its announcement it would hand over some user data like phone numbers to Facebook to improve the services of the world’s largest online network.
Following objections by data-protection authorities, the sharing and use of the data has been put on hold in Europe for the time being. Facebook purchased WhatsApp about two years ago for about 22 billion dollars.
-dpa
