Will the fact that Telegram has added video calling encourage more users? It is worth considering since Zoom does not offer that feature… yet.

At the height of the Zoom rush when concerns surfaced about security, Telegram became one of the most favoured tools. The messaging app’s popularity wasn’t dampened by the fact that it was founded by a Russian and concerns that it would provide critical data to the State. The company has strenuously denied any links to Russia.

Telegram‘s video calling feature is available on both iOS and Android and is super secure — like Signal and WhatsApp and unlike Zoom (yet), with end-to-end encryption. The big difference is that it is only for one-on-one communication, with a group chat similar to WhatsApp and Facebook in the offing. Android Police says the beta version offers “options to flip between front and rear cams, turn off the video, mute, and hang up. Tapping the window in the bottom right switches between the two participants”.

Telegram‘s 400 million users will be able to enjoy picture-in-picture mode as well as scroll through chats and multitask while “maintaining eye contact”.