Signal Amplifies Its Video Call Feature Set To Take On Meet, Teams And Zoom
Before the new features were added, Signal users had to create a group chat in order to start a group call. However, this has been remedied with a new feature called call links. This will allow users to share a link with anyone on Signal, and in just a tap or click the other user can join the video call, no group chat required.
“Video calls have become a new normal meeting place for organizations, workplaces, and groups of friends all over the world. As communication norms change, Signal’s promise of a private place to communicate stays the same. To make Signal calling better overall, we’ve spent the last few months building some welcome improvements,” the company said in a blog post.
Another welcome feature is a raise hand button. Now, when multiple raise their hands in a call, anyone in the call will be able to see the list of raised hands so everyone can keep track of whose turn it is to speak. This should help keep the flow of the conversation going, without someone jumping in out of turn... should.
A few other new features added include:
- Emoji reactions: Intended to make calls more dynamic.
- Dedicated calls tab: Allows users to see all of their call history in one place.
- Added more options to view speakers and participants when using Signal Desktop.
- Updated call settings to more easily turn on a camera and mic on or off.
