Mega Introduces Encrypted Skype Competitor

Mega has started rolling out MegaChat, its encrypted video chat service. The service is still in beta, and will be introduced gradually: not all functionality is available yet. Unlike competitor Skype, calls are end-to-end encrypted.

At the moment, the service does not work flawlessly, TechCrunch writes, that the service has been tried for a while. For example, setting up a call required several attempts, but once successful, the image quality was on par with Skype, according to the tech site. It is unclear when the general public will have access to the service.

Unlike Skype and Hangouts, MegaChat works with end-to-end encryption, where the encryption is set up automatically by the two interlocutors and where the chat service’s servers play no role. To enable more secure encryption, users will need to install a browser extension for Chrome or Firefox, but it is not necessary to use the service.

At the moment, MegaChat only offers one-on-one video chat and file sharing, but later on, users should also be able to send text messages and set up group conversations.

Image: TechCrunch