WhatsApp, the number instant messenger has limited the duration of videos that can be uploaded in status to 15 seconds. This seems to be done to overcome traffic surges due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Gizmochina; users could no longer upload videos in status if the duration is longer than 15 seconds. Usually, users can upload videos in a status of up to 30 seconds, reported WABetaInfo.
If the user tries to upload a video that is longer than the limit, a warning will appear saying the video will be trimmed to 15 seconds. The user can then edit the video as desired before uploading.
WABetaInfo in its tweets says this policy is carried out to reduce the burden on the network and server. WhatsApp itself currently has at least 85% of Nigeria’s 24 million active social media users who rely on the application to communicate every day, according to The Global State of Digital in 2019 report.
Status features are popular among WhatsApp users in Nigeria. This restriction may only be done for a while, but it is possible to apply in other countries if traffic continues to soar.
WhatsApp has also reported increased traffic in several countries since the coronavirus broke out. Through a survey conducted by Kantar to 25,000 users in 30 countries, it was found WhatsApp users globally increased by 40%.
During the beginning of the pandemic, its use increased by 27% and in the middle, it reached 41%. Then for countries that are already in a pandemic phase, the use of WhatsApp jumped up to 51%.
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