Zoom is repeating its Thanksgiving gift for the festive season, lifting its 40-minute limit for three periods until Jan. 2, it said earlier this week. The video chat app has been an invaluable tool for much of the world throughout the coronavirus pandemic, by letting people connect while maintaining physical distance.
You’ll be to video chat for as long as you like during these periods:
- 10 a.m. ET Thursday, Dec. 17, to 6 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 19
- 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 23, to 6 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 26
- 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 30, to 6 a.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 2
“Whether coming together on the final day of Hanukkah, celebrating Christmas, ringing in the New Year, or marking the last days of Kwanzaa, those connecting with friends and family won’t get cut short,” the company wrote in a release.
Read more: Zoom review: The video meeting service became a verb in 2020
Zoom surged in popularity in 2020, as working from home and communicating virtually became the norm under coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions. Its user base jumped from 10 million last December to 300 million in April, the FTC noted.
As the holiday season approached, the company added tools to let you block and report anyone who disrupts your meetings. As usage went up, the platform was scrutinized for potential privacy and security issues, and has since rolled out end-to-end encryption and expanded two-factor authentication.
In November, Microsoft Teams one-upped Zoom’s temporary time limit removal by offering free all-day video calling until further notice.
