Record WhatsApp calls made on New Year's eve

• Over 1.4 billion WhatsApp calls made on New Year's eve
• Facebook messenger sees the biggest day ever for group video calls in US
• Over 55 million live broadcasts held on Instagram Live, Facebook Live 

In the backdrop of coronavirus and the restrictions imposed by countries to avoid people from gathering in the open, people turned to social media apps like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram to connect with each other on New Year's eve.

"More than 1.4 billion voice and video calls were made on New Year’s Eve 2020 globally, the most ever calls in a single day on WhatsApp," said Facebook which owns WhatsApp.

The social media giant said that WhatsApp saw an increase of more than 50% compared to the same day of 2019.

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It was not just WhatsApp that saw record numbers, Facebook's messenger also saw an increase in use on New Year's eve.

"New Year’s Eve 2020 was the biggest day ever for Messenger group video calls (3+ people) in the US, with nearly 2X more group video calls on NYE compared to the average day," said Facebook.

While people on Instagram Live and Facebook Live saw over 55 million live broadcasts globally on New Year’s Eve.

The social media giant said that the increase in the use of the technology was more likely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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"In 2020, people turned to technology to stay in touch and get things done in the face of social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, and video calling became arguably the most in-demand feature," said Facebook.

The social media giant said that New Year’s Eve is a "historically busy night" for their services, but on the last day of 2020, they saw new records being set.