Signal is adding Call Links and other new features to improve group calling

Signal has launched several new features to its calling service, including Call Links and emoji reactions.

In order to start a group chat with Signal, you had to create a Signal chat group, invite people and then you could start your chat. Both the developer of the app and users thought it was quite a hassle to start a group chat this way.

That’s why Signal has come up with Call Links, a feature that allows users to join group conversations directly without first joining a group chat. Call Links allows up to 50 participants to join a group video call.

Administrators can choose to automatically admit participants or manually approve them first. The generated links are reusable for recurring conversations.

To create a Call Link, open Signal on your smartphone or desktop, go to the Calls tab and tap or click to create a Call Link.

Another new feature that Signal has added to its app is called Raise Hand Button. This feature is designed to let people know you have a question, comment or a joke, without interrupting the flow of the conversation.

“When multiple people raise their hands in a call, anyone in the call will be able to see the list of raised hands so that everyone can keep track of whose turn it is to speak. This way, everyone can weigh in without talking over each other when you ask all your friends for their opinion,” Signal says in a blog post.

Emoji Reactions is the third new feature Signal has introduced and is meant to spice up the conversation. It’s a creative and fun way to show whomever is speaking that you agree, love what he or she is saying, or to tell him or her you’re flabbergasted. If enough people share the same emoji in a short period of time, a fun emoji will burst.

Lastly, Signal has launched several other changes to improve calling. Signal has added a dedicated tab at the bottom of your smartphone and desktop screen for all your calls. That way you can easily see your call history, call people back, and manage your Call Links.

When you’re calling with Signal on your desktop, you can now choose if you want to see the participants in Grid View, Sidebar View or Speaker View. And finally, Signal has updated the call control buttons to make it easier to turn your camera or microphone off, manage your speaker source and see who else is in a group call.

All of these new features are now available on the latest version of Signal for Android, iOS and desktop.