Video calling is steadily on its way to becoming a regular feature to be included in most of the texting platforms currently in use. With the launch of new smartphones every day with increasingly improved front cameras, video calling refuses to be a limited feature for a privileged few. It recently became known that popular texting platform Whatsapp is testing out the extension in its newest beta version. Now Hike, the messaging platform born in India, has launched a new video calling feature for its users.
IANS reports that the beta version of the feature has been in testing stages since September this year for a select group of users. After today’s official launch, all those who use Hike on an Android smartphone will be able to fully use the feature for calling their contacts. It is not clear when exactly iPhone users will get the feature update, but it is expected to be made available for them in the near future.
Users can find the video calling option integrated into their chat threads with a particular contact. Hike already came with a voice calling option which needed users to simply tap on the Call icon to initiate a call. The new video calling feature will be equally easy to use; the user has first to update the app on their smartphones and then select the contact that they wish to commence video chat with. As opposed to what was seen before, tapping on the Call icon will now present users with two options: Voice Call, and Video Call, and the user can select the one they wish to proceed with. Like Google’s newly launched Duo app, Hike users will also be able to get a preview of the caller before they choose to answer. Google had said that this gives users a chance to gauge the mood of the person calling before they answer rather than going into the call blank.
According to Kavin Mittal, Founder and CEO of Hike Messenger, the new video calling feature will change the way people interact within the app. The company claims that the feature has been built to perform well under varied network conditions, including good quality 2G networks.