Telegram Adds Video Calls, Criticizes Apple: What You Need to Know
Telegram has added video chat en route to implementing group video conferencing. The service, known for its security features, is catching up.
Telegram has finally followed through on its plan to add video chat to its list of services. The app, known for its dedication to transparency and reliable encryption has been missing the feature for a while. The timing isn't too bad either as most of the competing video chat platforms out there are run by companies that have historically displayed questionable respect for user privacy.
The coronavirus pandemic was the catalyst for an explosion in the popularity of video chat programs. While this has been a boon for just about every tech company with communication software, this unfortunate time has been particularly beneficial for services like Zoom and Houseparty. These platforms focused specifically on video chat as a niche pre-pandemic, so when people started their search for ways to virtually socialize they turned to these rather than FaceTime spin-offs produced by corporations like Microsoft (with Teams) and Google (with Hangouts).
Telegram has been in great standing with its user base for years now and, after the unfathomably bad situation Zoom had when its popularity sky-rocketed while exposing its awful security protocols, the lane was clear for a secure video chat option. The company promised such a feature earlier this year but it's finally rolling out alongside a celebration of seven years of service. A post on Telegram's blog details the straightforward way in which video chats will work and reminds people that, as with voice calls, these conversations are encrypted end-to-end.
For anyone who has ever used a chat service with a video option, it's exactly what you'd expect. Telegram video chats can be started from a contact's profile page on the app, or just by toggling video on during a normal voice call. As is also typical, there's a picture-in-picture mode. Unfortunately, there's still no group video chat option, but the blog post includes a reminder that it'll arrive "in the coming months". For now, one-on-one calls are live on the Android and iOS versions of Telegram.
On a slightly unrelated note, the current version of the blog post was updated to remove a surprisingly incendiary comment about Apple. In the original version of the post, Telegram video chats were only live on Android devices because, according to the company, Apple had yet to approve the latest version of the app. The post was explicit in explaining that the request for approval was submitted to Apple days before it was sent to the Google Play Store team, leading to the following message that expresses the writer's palpable frustrations: "If you’re on iOS and would like to try Telegram Video Calls, you’ll have to wait until Apple lets you — or switch to a platform that has more respect for its users and developers, like Android." Shortly thereafter, iOS support for the Telegram's video chat option was implemented. This isn't the only example of Telegram or other competitors showing public ire toward Apple this week.
Source: Telegram