WhatsApp is working to limit the length of videos that users in India can upload in their Stories. Instead of the usual 30 second-video, users will soon be able to post only 15-second clips. This is due to the `, which is choking cellular networks as people are working from home amid the Coronavirus outbreak globally. A decrease in video length would eventually result in a decrease in internet bandwidth, somewhat lessening internet congestion.
Note: some users might be still able to post videos having a longer duration.
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 28, 2020
The change should be rolled out for more Indian users soon. https://t.co/KZFhj5OMtZ
The development comes from WABetaInfo, a platform that tests WhatsApp features before they are released to the masses. ‘You can no longer send videos to WhatsApp Status if they are longer than 16 seconds: only videos having a duration of 15 seconds will be allowed. This is happening in India, and it's probably an initiative to reduce the traffic on the server infrastructures,’ the platform said on Twitter. The 30-second limit is likely to be reverted after things normalise.
NOTE: it is a temporary decision.
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 28, 2020
The full functionality will be restored in future. https://t.co/KZFhj5OMtZ
WhatsApp is the most used instant messenger app across the globe. Apart from messaging, people also upload text, photos, GIF images or short video clips on the app’s Stories feature. These images, clips or GIFs automatically disappear after 24 hours. In fact, the feature is so popular that it is present on Facebook app, Messenger, Instagram, and YouTube. It was originally introduced in Snapchat. Given its popularity, people use it extensively, hogging internet bandwidth.
WhatsApp is not the first company to decrease the video length. Video streaming players like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar have also lowered the quality of their content to 480p on cellular networks. Video in lower bitrate will consume less internet as compared to the one in Full HD or 4K quality, thereby reducing the stress on telecom networks.
