Signal’s Group Calls Just Got Better

Signal, an open-source messaging app known for its focus on privacy, has made a great improvement to its group calls. You can finally make a group call with a simple share link.

Previously, when a Signal user tried a group call on Signal, creating a group chat was required first. However, with call links, users can now share a unique link with anyone on Signal, which lets them join a call without needing to be part of a group chat. No need for the first step towards creating a group that might not get used for anything else. What’s even better is all the customization options. You can choose to name the links, control who can join the call, and even require approval before anyone can participate. Call links are also reusable, which is great for recurring meetings or calls with the same groups of people.

This is a lot like Google Meet, Zoom, and most other video chat services with link support. Alongside call links are two other features well-known for Google Meets. A new “raise hand” button lets anyone call attention to themselves and emoji reactions let users get a bit more creative with their feelings in calls. These are great improvements, but what’s better is the new dedicated calls tab on the app’s home screen. This tab gives a centralized view of call history, allowing users to manage their call links and make calls easily.

The desktop is also getting an update and now has more options for viewing call participants, including grid, sidebar, and speaker views. This is also for mobile and looks really done, with the added bonus of being a lot more private than other messaging apps. Anyone can download Signal on iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux and join the beta to try new features early.

Source: Signal