WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, allowing users to easily connect through both individual and group text, voice, and video chats. One of the app’s key features is the ability to make video calls with multiple participants. But just how many people can join a WhatsApp video call at once?
WhatsApp Video Call Participant Limit
The maximum number of participants allowed on a WhatsApp video call is 8. This means you can have up to 7 additional people on a video call beyond yourself as the caller. The 8 participant limit applies to both group video calls as well as individual video calls.
This 8 person limit was introduced by WhatsApp in 2018 and represented an increase from the previous limit of just 4 participants. By boosting the call size to 8, WhatsApp enabled users to connect in larger groups face-to-face via video call.
Requirements for 8 Participant Video Call
In order to have up to 8 participants on a WhatsApp video call, there are a few requirements:
- All participants must be using the latest version of WhatsApp on iOS or Android.
- All users must have an active internet connection, preferably high speed 4G or WiFi.
- The caller initiating the video call can invite up to 7 additional participants.
- Video calls are only supported on smartphones, not the WhatsApp desktop app or web version.
As long as all participants meet these requirements, you can have a seamless 8 person video call on WhatsApp. Keep in mind video quality can decrease as more users join the call depending on individual network connections.
Tips for 8 Person Video Call
Here are some tips to have the best experience with 8 users on a WhatsApp video call:
- Make sure everyone has updated to the latest version of WhatsApp first.
- Use WiFi instead of mobile data whenever possible for faster speeds.
- Have participants mute themselves when not speaking to reduce background noise.
- Enable the option to continue video when phone screen is off for uninterrupted video.
- Set devices on a stable surface rather than handheld to minimize shakiness.
Following these tips will help ensure you can have smooth, high quality group video calls through WhatsApp even with the maximum of 8 users.
Group Video Call vs. Individual Video Call Limit
The 8 participant limit applies whether you are making a regular group video call or an individual video call. Here is a breakdown:
- Group video call – Up to 8 total participants including yourself. You create a group video call by selecting multiple contacts at once to call.
- Individual video call – Up to 8 total participants including yourself. You start with an individual 1:1 call then add up to 7 more users.
So regardless of the type of video call, you can have up to 8 participants at one time before maxing out the limit.
Comparison with Other Video Call Apps
How does WhatsApp’s 8 person video call limit compare with other popular apps? Here is a comparison table:
| App | Max Video Call Participants |
|---|---|
| 8 | |
| FaceTime | 32 |
| Skype | 50 |
| Zoom | 100 |
| Google Meet | 100 |
From this comparison, we can see that WhatsApp has one of the lower maximum participant limits. However, 8 people is still a sizable group video call for most purposes. And the convenience of using a messaging app you already have makes WhatsApp an easy choice for group video calls.
Can You Increase the Participant Limit?
Is there any way to get more than 8 people on a WhatsApp video call? Unfortunately, there is no setting to increase the limit beyond 8 participants.
The 8 person restriction is hardcoded into WhatsApp’s software and servers. It cannot be increased without an update from WhatsApp enabling larger group video calls.
So for now, 8 remains the maximum number of users who can join a WhatsApp video call or group video chat session.
Why the 8 Participant Limit Exists
You may be wondering why WhatsApp caps video calls at 8 participants. There are a few technical reasons for this limit:
- Bandwidth requirements increase substantially with more users, putting strain on servers.
- More participants means greater potential for call quality degradation.
- Large group calls require complex management of video streams.
- The limit provides a consistent experience by preventing overloaded calls.
WhatsApp likely settled on 8 as the right balance between enabling larger group video chats while keeping server load and call performance manageable. The company may decide to raise the limit in the future if it feels the technology has improved enough.
Workarounds for More Than 8 Participants
If you need to conduct a video call, meeting, or chat with more than 8 people, WhatsApp will not be able to accommodate it natively. However, there are a couple potential workarounds:
- Use an external group video calling app like Zoom or Google Meet to include more participants, sharing the join link via WhatsApp.
- Create multiple simultaneous WhatsApp video calls of 8 people each and have designated participants relay information between the calls.
While not as seamless as a single WhatsApp call, these solutions do make it possible to hold larger virtual events across multiple groups.
The Future of WhatsApp’s Video Call Limit
Looking ahead, will WhatsApp ever raise their video call participant cap beyond 8? It’s quite possible.
As WhatsApp continues enhancing capabilities and infrastructure for their service, the company may decide to allow larger video calls in the future. Given competitor apps already support calls with dozens or hundreds of users, WhatsApp may face pressure to boost their limit.
For now though, 8 remains the maximum. And that’s still a substantial number for hosting casual group video calls with family and friends.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points:
- WhatsApp currently allows up to 8 participants in a video call or group video chat.
- All users must be on the latest WhatsApp version and have a stable internet connection.
- The 8 person restriction applies to both regular and group video calls.
- There is no setting to extend the limit beyond 8 participants at this time.
- Technical limitations of video streaming led to the 8 user cap.
- External apps or multiple simultaneous calls can act as workarounds.
- WhatsApp may raise the maximum participants in the future.
So while you can’t yet make enormous group video calls on WhatsApp, 8 participants gives you plenty of room for an engaging multiplayer video chat session. Just make sure everyone upgrades to the latest version so you can fully leverage WhatsApp’s current group video call capacity.