Due to the growing concern over the coronavirus pandemic, Rakuten Viber has announced it will double the number of participants allowed on group calls through the Viber messaging app. Starting this week, up to 20 people may be included on group calls, in an effort to keep communications between families and work colleagues up to date and accessible.

Through the Viber messaging app, all communications, including calls, texts, photos, and shared documents are end-to-end encrypted, and nothing is permanently stored on Viber’s servers. The only people who can decrypt any type of messages are the sender or receiver themselves. The app and its services are free and available to anyone with an Android or Apple device. 

“We’re committed to finding more ways for people to connect in groups during this challenging time without having to be physically in the same place,” said Ofir Eyal, chief operating officer, Rakuten Viber. “With more people working remotely, in response to the spread of the coronavirus, we want to do our part in order to ensure that people have a safe and secure environment to stay connected with loved ones and to be able to continue to do their jobs from wherever they are.”

*This article was edited on 17/3 to reflect a change from 10 participants to 20 participants.