Line's Popcorn Buzz Group Calling App Lets You Speak With 200 People at Once

Line on Thursday unveiled a new group calling app, called Popcorn Buzz. Currently only available for Android, Line says it is working on an iPhone app as well - but did not provide any time-frame for its release.

The Popcorn Buzz is described by the company as a 'free group call app' that lets users talk with up to 200 people at the same time. Line details some use cases for talking with multiple users at once, such as when talking to more than one family member or friend, or even club members, apart from colleagues. With this last, the company says the app can replace "business-grade conference call services."

Popcorn Buzz calls can be made over Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks. Existing Line users can quickly log in to the app and get immediate access to their entire Line friends list. The firm says new users will find it easily to sign up as well, requiring just a username and profile picture. Users can then send out a group call's 'unique URL' via email, text message, or chat to other users to start a call or invite new users into the call.

As for the interface of Popcorn Buzz, all users currently active in a call will be displayed with icons of their profile pictures, and users can see who is talking by the green light that lights up below the corresponding icon. Line says that it plans to add features such as group video chat and interconnectivity between Line groups in the future.