Telegram Launches One-on-one Video Calls on iOS and Android

Instant messaging app, Telegram, has joined the ‘video call’ market with the launch of its face-to-face communication as the coronavirus compels the world to go virtual.

The company described the new video feature as an “alpha version”, which will now rival Whatsapp.
“2020 highlighted the need for face-to-face communication, and our alpha version of video calls is now available on both Android and iOS”, the company wrote in a blog post.

It explained that “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 you to scroll through chats and multitask, while maintaining eye contact”.

The video calls are said to be protected with end-to-end encryption, with the security confirmed by matching emojis shown on-screen on both ends of the line.

The tech firm assured that the calls are “100 per cent secured by time-tested encryption also used in Telegram’s Secret Chats and Voice Calls”.

ALSO READ: Meet Bashir Dodo, the Nigerian Tech Genius Taking Africa to the World

According to the company, it is working on adding more features to the video call package, including group video calls in the coming months.

Telegram was founded by two Russian brothers, Nikolai and Pavel Durov, in 2013 with its headquarters in London and operational centre in Dubai.

The company said it currently has 400 million active users, from 100,000 as of October, 2013.