Scott Adam Gordon / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Telegram has introduced new video calling capabilities to take on the video conferencing heavyweights.
- A new feature includes screen sharing within group video calls on different devices.
Telegram remains a solid alternative to WhatsApp. More recently, it has gained video calling smarts to bolster its popularity during the pandemic. Now it’s looking for video conferencing tools with a new group video calling and screen sharing feature.
Users can now convert group voice calls into group video calls by tapping the camera icon on the call screen. Voice calls can still accommodate “unlimited” participants, but only 30 users in a group can join with video. Telegram advises that this limit will be “raised soon”.
See also: WhatsApp vs. Telegram vs. Signal: Which App Should You Use?
Group admins can also pin a user’s video feed, effectively making it the first screen new users see when they join video chat. This is also available on mobile devices and desktops and should be useful for teachers who offer online courses. Users can also tap any of the users’ video screens to view it in full screen mode on their device.
Syncing with these enhancements is the ability to share screens. Users can tap and select the three-dot menu button and Share screen from the menu to activate the function from your tablet or smartphone. On the desktop in particular, the newest user who shares their screen is automatically pinned. This should make Telegram’s video calling experience feel similar to Zoom and Google Meet.
The new update is available for Telegram’s mobile, desktop and tablet apps and interfaces. You can download Telegram for Android using the button below.
Get Telegram on Google Play