Telegram is trying to compete with Zoom and Skype. Thanks to a new update that promises to add group video calling and video conferencing to its private messaging app.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the news yesterday afternoon on his personal Telegram channel.

Despite everything going on, from the coronavirus pandemic to the rising popularity of services like Zoom, Telegram has been surprisingly slow to respond.

In fact, Telegram is so far behind the curve in this regard that it only added support for video calls last August. Notably, the other best encrypted messaging apps have been offering these features for years.

Zoom has moved more quickly, but has been criticized for its poor handling of security and seeming reluctance to offer end-to-end encryption to free users.

However, things are changing for Telegram, with Durov promising that Telegram offers "everything you can expect from a modern video conferencing tool." This includes screen sharing, encryption, noise cancellation, desktop and tablet support, but bundled with Telegram's own UI, speed, and encryption.

The only question is whether group video calls will be encrypted end-to-end and whether it will be turned on by default. This is not the case with instant messaging, since users are forced to turn on the "secret chat" feature for each individual contact.

Fortunately, Telegram's stand-alone video calls are encrypted end-to-end, and one would expect that to carry over to group deployments. However, the fact that there is even the slightest bit of doubt indicates that Telegram needs to do more. Especially given the criticisms and claims that Telegram's custom-branded encryption may not be as secure.

It may be one of the best messengers to replace WhatsApp, but those in the know understandably tend to recommend the privacy-first Signal messenger instead.

Durov did not specify an exact date for the rollout of group video calling. Therefore, it could be anytime next week or next month.