Chatapp Threema adds support for encrypted video calling

Threema has released updates to its apps for Android and iOS with video calling support. The feature was already available in beta, but has now been released publicly. The Swiss app promises full encryption of the video calls.

According to the developer, the video calling function has been extensively tested and is now suitable for the general public. It was already possible to make audio calls with Threema and video calling can be done by turning on the camera during such a call.

The video calling feature uses end-to-end encryption and, according to Threema, the feature also meets its strict standards for encrypting metadata, such as data from the camera’s orientation sensor. To this end, the team has made adjustments to the WebRTC standard. Those security enhancements are also being incorporated into the WebRTC project so that other apps can take advantage of them too.

Video calling is included in Threema 4.6 for iOS and in version 4.4 for Android. Threema is a Swiss chat app with a focus on privacy. Unlike competitors, the app is not free. The software is available for four euros in the download stores of Apple and Google.

Threema was founded in 2012 and was originally called Eeema, which stands for End-to-end encrypted messaging application. The three e’s were replaced by Three. According to the makers, the app had eight million users at the beginning of this year, two million of which are business users.