The coronavirus pandemic has caused millions of people to work or study from home this year. This sudden change in the environment has prompted the sudden increase of apps with group video calling and group chatting capability.
Now, Signal announced that it will be joining the list of companies that offers the video calling and video chatting app, but what makes them different is that the company is offering a secure way to video call your friends, classmates, family members or colleagues.
Signal has launched the new feature with the latest version of its app and the video calls on the service are end-to-end encrypted, according to Android Police.
Signal's encrypted video calls
While most people may already have a video conferencing app that they use at this point in time, since those who are working and study are required to sign up to at least one service to be able to continue their activities at home, the fans of Signal might appreciate being able to rely on the app for their video conferencing and messaging too.
Other video meeting apps like Skype, Facebook Messenger and Zoom have had security issues over the past few months, with Zoom's controversy being so concerning that the FBI had to step in, as reported by WPXI News.
One of the concerns of users that was raised about online security was that it has no end-to-end encryption. Most video meeting apps, like Zoom, had claimed that it had the feature for years but the truth is that it only just started profiting from video meetings this year.
The users who want to use the feature will still have to make sure that they are running the latest version of the app that they are using.
The difference now is that Signal will automatically update legacy groups to the new groups interface, which then shows a video call button at the top of the chat page and this will be available in the coming weeks.
Group calls will display the participants in a grid view, but the users can swipe up to switch to a view that focuses the screen on the participant who is currently speaking. The feature is easy to navigate too.
However, the group video calling feature of Signal will not work for massive classes or meetings because as for now, the feature is only limited to five participants. The developer of the app stated that it is working to expand the number of people that can join the video calls soon.
Importance of end-to-end encryption on video chats
The new normal requires people to use video messaging apps for a few more months or maybe longer, depending on the situation of the pandemic.
Due to this, online security is highlighted as something that should be constantly checked on. This is why end-to-end encryption for video chats are important, according to SquareUp.com.
In order to keep your conversations private, this feature is something that users should be seeking in a video meeting app. End-to-end encryption means that only those in a call can know what is said or shown during the call. No one else can see, hear or even save your call's audio and video except for the participants.
End-to-end encryption is a standard security method that protects communications data and it should be in every app.
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