Zoom lifts 40-minute time limit to help families stay connected over Christmas

Staying connected over the festive period just got a little bit easier

Zoom, the videoconferencing software that has become ubiquitous over during the Coronavirus pandemic, will offer unlimited calls to users over the festive period. Anyone (and that's most people by this point in 2020) who has used Zoom on a free account will be familiar with the 40 minute time limit, after which calls are usually forced to end. However, on specific days over the holidays, free account users will be able to enjoy unlimited calls, helping them stay connected to friends, family and loved ones forced to stay apart due to the pandemic. The 40 minute call limit will be lifted on Thursday 17th at 3pm for the last day of Hanukkah, and continue until 11am on Saturday 19th. The limit will also be lifted from 3pm on Wednesday 23rd until 11am Saturday 26th to cover the Christmas period, and then again from Wednesday 30th until Saturday January 2nd for New Years. In a statement, Zoom said: "As a token of appreciation to our users during an extraordinary time, we’re removing the 40-minute limit on free Zoom accounts for all meetings globally for several upcoming special occasions. "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."