Signal launches encrypted group video call

The encrypted messaging app, Signal, now offers group and encrypted video calls. The announcement was made on the company’s official blog, on Monday (14). The update promises group video calls completely free, private and with end-to-end encryption.

“We are launching group calls on Signal with the latest versions of our applications. Group calls are free, private and encrypted from end to end – like everything else at Signal, ”writes Randall Sarafa, Chief Product Officer at Signal.

THE update is now available in mobile application stores, as well as for Mac, Windows and Linux desktop applications, on the company’s website. From this new update, the new groups created will already be created with the video call option available. Updating in old groups is automatic. However, some old groups may take a while to show this option.

“Group calls are only supported in the new style of signal groups. You will not see the call button in your old groups. Your old groups start automatically updating for new groups in the next weeks”, Justifies the executive.

How it works

When opening a group in Signal, you can see a video call button at the top of the screen. When a video call starts, group members receive a notification.

Participants are organized in a grid format. But it is possible to change the viewing pattern: just slide your finger up in the middle of the screen. This second mode is updated automatically, focusing on who is speaking and hiding others who are quiet.

“Signal group calls are one of the many features that we design with private signal groups as a basis, using our RingRTC library to handle frame encryption and the logic around configuring and joining calls,” writes Sarafa.

In this first moment, video calls are limited to 5 participants. But the company says it is working to allow more users simultaneously. “We hope that group calls are a useful new way to connect,” he concludes.

Source: Signal.