Although there are many video calling services, Zoom has been by far the most popular choice in 2020 and just announced impressive financial results for Q3. No surprise there.
But the company has announced a nice surprise for its users: it’s ditching the usual 40-minute call limit for Hannukah and Christmas so that families who can’t be together physically can still meet virtually on a video call.
The limit doesn’t apply to paying customers, but since most people using Zoom for personal reasons don’t pay, they have to live with the 40-minute limit (though there are ways around that).
There are certain times when the restrictions will be lifted:
- Last Day of Hanukkah: 3pm GMT (10am ET) 17 December to 11am (6am ET) 19 December
- Christmas Eve & Christmas Day: 3pm GMT (10am ET) 23 December to 11am (6am ET) 26 December
- New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Last Day of Kwanzaa: 3pm GMT (10am ET) 30 December to 11am (6am ET) on 2 January
This means you’ll be able to have a Zoom call that lasts for your entire Christmas dinner as well as a full evening for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Outside of those times, the usual 40-minute limit will apply.
To make things even more festive, you could set a snowy scene as your Zoom background and Zoom itself has a curated selection of backgrounds to use, including seasonal ones.
Plus, here are 10 great tips & tricks for using Zoom.
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.