Telegram now has 400 million monthly users, plans to launch group video calling service later this year

Telegram now has 400 million monthly users, up from 300 million a year ago. The instant messaging platform reported at least 1.5 million new users sign up for Telegram. The company is now planning to launch group calling facility for its users this year.

The company also revealed a directory of more than 20,000 stickers. Telegram further introduced a new attachment menu on Android.

"What's next, you might ask? The current global lockdown highlighted the need for a trusted video communication tool. Video calls in 2020 are much like messaging in 2013. There are apps that are either secure or usable, but not both. We'd like to fix that, and we will focus on bringing you secure group video calls in 2020," said the company in a post.

Telegram's growth may have also been driven by the recent surge in usage of digital tools due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Competing platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp have also seen similar surge. Mark Zuckerberg revealed that between WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger 700 million accounts participate in calls every day.

That said, video calling products, especially group video calling, have become quite popular amid the pandemic. Newer apps such as Houseparty and Zoom have become talk of the town. Their popularity has inspired the traditional internet players to launch similar services or update their existing services with the popular features.

Facebook launched Messenger Rooms to allow users to host group video calls with up to 50 people. Its implementation is also similar to how Zoom works.