Elon Musk headed social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), will soon allow users to connect over calls with their contacts without sharing their phone numbers. The company announced in a recent blog post that video and audio calls will be coming to X for all users, including those on iOS, Android, and desktop.

Sharing the announcement on the platform, the official tweet reads, “Video & audio calls coming to X: Works on iOS, Android, Mac & PC, No phone number needed, X is the effective global address book. That set of factors is unique.”

Reportedly, the new features will be available within the Direct Message (DM) menu, and the video calling option will be located in the top right corner. The design of the new DM menu will resemble that of other platforms, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Earlier, CEO Linda Yaccarino confirmed the news in an interview with CNBC, saying that the new features are intended to “enhance communication on the platform” and “provide users with more ways to connect with each other.”

Andrea Conway, a design engineer at X, also shared a picture of the new DM menu on Twitter, which shows the video calling option. The option is located in the top right corner of the menu, next to the existing options for sending text messages, photos, and videos.

The new audio and video calling features are expected to be rolled out to all users in the coming weeks.

Significantly, the new feature is intended to enhance communication on the platform. It is also seen as a strong response to rival Meta, as the platform already allows calling across its different platforms, including Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Elon Musk had shared his plans to transform X into a one-stop platform for users. The Tesla boss often revealed that he wants to make it possible for people to subscribe to their favorite creators, watch videos, express themselves in long-form posts, send payments, and even store money.

For this, Musk has already made some progress towards these goals. For instance, Twitter recently started sharing revenue with creators, and it now supports videos up to two hours long.

In addition to these changes, Musk has also introduced a new professional networking feature called “Hirings.” This feature is similar to LinkedIn and aims to simplify the job hiring process by providing a verified space for job seekers and employers.

X Hirings will only be available to verified organizations, which means that they have been vetted by Twitter. This will help to ensure that job seekers have a safe and reliable place to find employment.

The job listings will appear on the organization’s profile and will be searchable by keyword, location, and other criteria. Candidates can apply for jobs directly on Twitter, and they can be contacted by employers through the platform.

Source Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/elon-musk-says-calls-are-coming-to-x-twitter-users-will-be-able-to-call-each-other-without-phone-numbers-2429105-2023-08-31