How can i video chat on facebook
How to video call on Facebook Messenger
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(Pocket-lint) - Facebook allows you to use its Messenger platform to make one-on-one video calls and group video calls with up to 50 people through Messenger Rooms, which is like a virtual hangout, where friends can just drop in just to say hi.
Here's everything you need to know about making video calls on Messenger.
Getting started with Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is one of the most widely used messaging services, with more than 700 million people making calls on it every day. It's free and offers several communications features including video calling, and it's available around the globe, across a range of devices.
You can install the Messenger app on your iPhone or Android phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play, respectively. There's also a Messenger app for MacOS and Windows desktops.
You can also access Messenger from Facebook on the web or from the dedicated Messenger web app. Installing or using the latest version of Messenger ensures you will have access to the latest features.
- Go here to grab the latest version of the Messenger app
If you should ever deactivate your Facebook account, you can still use Messenger. In fact, you can share photos, videos, start group chats, and more - all without a Facebook account. Eventually, Facebook said it hopes to integrate all its messaging platforms, including WhatsAapp and Instagram, so that users will be able to start a conversation and access it across from any of Facebook's services.
The first phase of this effort comes in the form of Messenger Rooms, a video-calling feature introduced in 2020, which we discuss in detail below.
How to video chat with someone or a group on Messenger
You can video chat with just one person or with a group of people using Messenger.
Messenger mobile app for iOS and Android
From the chats area, open a conversation with the person or group you want to video chat, and then click the video call icon.
Note: If you're not connected to Wi-Fi when placing a video call with your mobile device, the feature will use your existing data plan.
You can download the Messanger mobile app for iOS from here, and for Android from here.
Facebook.com or Messenger.com
From the chats area, open a conversation with the person or group you want to video chat, and then click the video call icon.
Note: Calling on messenger.com or facebook.com is only available using the browsers Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Opera.
Messenger desktop app for Mac and Windows
From the chats area, open a conversation with the person or group you want to video chat, and then click the video call icon (see above).
You can download the Messenger desktop app for Mac here, and for Windows here.
Facebook Portal devices
Portal calls can be received on Portal devices, the Messenger app on mobile phones or tablets, messenger.com or facebook.
com, or on WhatsApp on mobile phones. But you can't use Portal to call Messenger connections that don't have Facebook accounts - confusing we know.
Anyway, to make a video call on a Portal, be sure to add your Facebook Messenger account when you initially set up the device, and then you can simply say to it: "Hey Portal, call [contact name]." Portal may ask you to confirm which contact you're trying to call.
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How do Messenger Rooms work?
- Messenger Rooms: The Zoom-like video calling feature explained
Facebook rolled out a video-calling feature called Messenger Rooms in 2020. It allows you and up to 49 others to join a group video call - which Facebook calls a "room". You can start a room from Messenger, Facebook, Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, or Portal, and you can open the call to all or lock it to stop uninvited people from joining. You can remove participants, too.
While in a Room, you can use Facebook's augmented reality filters and change out your background to a virtual one.
Facebook includes 360-degree views of exotic locations for backgrounds, and there's beauty filters as well as filters designed to brighten a dark room. Keep in mind Zoom, a popular alternative, also lets you join large group video calls and use virtual backgrounds.
Create a Messenger Room
Here's how to create a Room from your phone:
- Open the Messenger mobile app.
- Tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on the first person you want to create a Room with.
- Tap on the menu icon with four circles in the bottom left corner
- Tap on Create room.
- You can share the room in your News Feed, Groups, and Events.
- To share a room with people who don't have Facebook, you can send them a link.
Rooms are now available globally in the Messenger app. Messenger Rooms are eventually coming to all of Meta's messaging products, starting with Messenger and Facebook, and then Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal.
Dashlane can keep your employees' passwords safe By Pocket-lint Promotion ·
If you're concerned about your organisation's security, this is a no-brainer.
You can join a room from your phone or computer -- no need to download anything. Room calls are not end-to-end encrypted.
Check out our Messenger tips and tricks.
- Facebook Messenger Kids: How does it work and where is it available?
Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Adrian Willings.
Messenger Rooms: Here's how to use Facebook's free new video chat feature
Facebook's new group video chat feature Messenger Rooms is now available, and is ready to compete with services like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, as more people turn to video chat during coronavirus lockdowns and quarantines.
You can create a video chat room via Facebook or the Messenger app and invite up to 50 people to join a video call -- even if they don't have a Facebook account. There are no time limits on calls.
Now playing: Watch this: Facebook unveils Messenger Rooms
7:21
Messenger Rooms arrives as some people are looking for an alternative to Zoom, which has faced a number of security and privacy issues in the past two months.
(If you're still using Zoom, you can take steps to lock down your meetings and prevent Zoombombing, and learn other hidden tips and tricks.)
Facebook Messenger Rooms began rolling out in certain countries earlier in May before expanding globally last week. Keep reading for Facebook Messenger Rooms' stance on privacy, and how to get started using the new video chat platform.
Read more: Facebook Messenger Rooms vs. Zoom: Which video-chat app is better?
Facebook Messenger Rooms privacy concerns
FacebookWhile Facebook has also grappled with many security and privacy problems, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a livestream earlier this month that the company has been "very careful" and tried to "learn the lessons" from issues with other video conference tools in recent months.
More than 700 million accounts participate in voice and video calls every day on Facebook Messenger and the Facebook-owned WhatsApp, and the number of calls has more than doubled in many areas since the coronavirus outbreak began, the company said in a press release.
Messenger Rooms privacy protections include the ability to control who sees your room, and can lock or unlock it. If it's unlocked, anyone with the link can join and share the room with others. But the room creator has to be present to start the call. They can control who can join, and can remove participants at any time, too. People can report a room for violating Facebook rules -- though those reports will not include any video or audio from the call. Facebook doesn't listen to your calls at all, the company said.
Read more: 10 free Zoom alternative apps for video chats
How to create a Facebook Messenger Room
To create a room from your phone, make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook and Messenger mobile apps downloaded from the App Store or the Google Play Store. Then follow these steps:
1. Open the Messenger app.
2. Tap the People tab at the bottom right of the screen.
3. Tap Create a Room, and select the people who you want to join.
4. To share a room with people who don't have a Facebook account, you can share the link with them. You can also share the room in your News Feed, Groups and Events.
You can join a room from your phone or computer -- no need to download anything, according to Facebook.
Facebook plans to add ways to create Rooms from Instagram Direct, WhatsApp and the Portal smart display as well. Features will include 14 camera filters and changeable backgrounds.
For more, check out 11 video chat app tricks for Zoom, Skype and FaceTime and how to stay healthy and entertained at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
0036 2020. Facebook launched desktop version of Messenger due to the growing number of video calls has grown significantly. Facebook seized the moment to release a desktop version of its messenger (for Windows and Mac) with video calling capabilities.
Facebook Messenger also has a web version, but of course, video calling in the desktop application works much better than in the browser. Otherwise, the functionality of the desktop client is no different from the mobile or web version. In theory, Messenger allows you to make free video calls with up to 50 people.
2016. Group video chat has been added to Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger has added the ability to make group video calls for 6 participants for free. More participants (up to 50) can connect to such a call, but only 6 can broadcast video, the rest can only talk. The group video feature is already working in the latest version of the app for iOS and Android. Note that Facebook is slowly luring users from purchased WhatsApp to native Messenger. Just a month ago, WhatsApp added one-on-one video calling, and immediately Messenger got a more attractive feature.
2015. Facebook Messenger has free video calls
As we have already noted, Facebook Messenger has become a staple for Facebook (the main social network).
And its development is now given the most attention. Yesterday it introduced the function of free video calls. True, it is available so far only in 18 countries, among which there is no Russia (but they promise to add it in the coming months). In addition, for now, video calling only works in the mobile app for iPhone and Android (but not in the web version). It is not yet possible to call from the messenger to the social network Facebook. Recall that video communication in the social network Facebook is based on the web version of Skype.
2015. Facebook video chat now works in Chrome without a plugin
If you use the Google Chrome browser, you no longer need to install a plugin to make video calls via Facebook. It is enough to allow the browser to use your camera and microphone. Video communication is implemented on WebRTC technology, which is now supported in Chrome. As you know, Facebook video chat runs on the Skype engine, and recently Microsoft just launched the web version of Skype, but it still requires a browser plugin to be installed.
2011. Web video chat: Google Hangouts vs Facebook Skype
The big battle between Google and Skype (Microsoft) for the video communications market continues on a new platform - social networking. Last week, Google opened (for beta testing) its social network Google+, one of the main features of which is the Hangouts group video chat. And yesterday, Facebook introduced a built-in video chat based on Skype. Both video chats work directly in the browser, which signals the transition of video communication applications to web technologies (although both products still require the installation of a small browser plug-in). ***
2011. Skype launches video calling on Facebook
A few weeks ago, Skype introduced the ability to chat with your Facebook friends, like and comment on Facebook posts, right from the Skype app. Today, Skype and Facebook introduced the ability to chat with video online - right on Facebook. This is the first step towards creating the Skype web interface, because Skype is not required for video calls.
***
19Facebook Messenger Tricks
Alla Rud 06/23/2020 189243 to read 12 minutes
Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, and the messaging app Facebook Messenger is also very popular among users. Almost everyone who uses Facebook uses Messenger to communicate with friends. However, most people are unaware of the great features that Facebook has added to the Messenger app. This review lists some of the best and most useful Facebook Messenger tips to help you get the most out of the app.
1. Blocking messages from a business account
If you previously interacted with a business page on Facebook Messenger, and now you are receiving promotional messages that annoy you, then there are solutions for this case.
Open a conversation and in the top right corner, tap the blue tick icon, then tap Mute Messages .
Now, if a business tries to send you a message, they'll get a message that the person can't be contacted on Messenger. Also, after blocking a contact, if you open More options, you can hide, delete, or unblock the conversation.
2. Hiding ads
Even though Facebook Messenger ads are not that annoying and appear as one of the conversations, if you want to hide these ads, there is an easy way to do so. On the Chats tab, swipe on the ad. Click on the menu that appears and select Hide Ads.
3. Search in conversation
Sometimes you want to find something that you or your friend has shared in a Facebook Messenger conversation. So, instead of scrolling through the whole conversation, you can use the Search in conversation option.
Open any conversation and tap your contact's profile picture. In the settings, click Search in Conversation and now in the search field, enter any keyword you want to search for. It will instantly return all results that match your keyword.
4. Messenger Room
An interesting feature of Facebook Messenger is the Messenger Room. This is video chat where you can chat with people through link sharing and anyone with a shared link can join even if they don't have a Facebook or Messenger account. To create a Messenger room, go to People and click Active. Press 9 here0117 "Create a room" , and then click "Try".
Your device's camera will now be activated for the video call. However, at this point, you will see two options for adding members:
- People with a link (anyone with a link can join the room).
- Only people on Facebook (Only those with a Facebook account can join the room).
Once you've decided who can join your room, click Share Link to invite people to your video chat.
5. Enable dark theme
Dark Mode is the latest UI trend among apps and operating systems. Like many other apps, you can change the user interface of your Facebook Messenger to dark mode.
Here is how you can activate it:
Click on your profile picture to go to your settings.
Tap "Dark Mode" > "On" to activate the dark mode user interface.
6. Using the desktop version (messenger.com)
Your browser has the Facebook Messenger mobile app, and your browser has a Messenger that you can access through Facebook. But did you know that there is a third way to access Messenger, that is, through messenger.com. Though messenger.com won't have all the features of the Facebook Messenger app, but it can be a good option when you can't access Messenger in any other way0036
7. Secret Chat Features
There are times when you want to chat secretly with one of your Facebook contacts. In such a case, Facebook Messenger allows you to start a secret conversation, which is encrypted. To start a secret conversation in the Messenger app:
Click the new message icon in the upper right corner. Tap "Secret" and then select the contact you want to have a secret conversation with.
You can also change an existing conversation to a secret one by clicking on the person's name at the top and selecting Go to Secret Conversation.
What's interesting about secret conversations is that you can set a timer for each message by clicking on the timer icon in the text field and then selecting any time from 5 seconds to 1 day, after which the message will disappear as soon as it will be read by the recipient.
If you don't see this option in your Messenger app, you'll have to enable it in Settings. For this:
Click on the profile picture in the upper left corner.
Go to Secret Conversations and turn it on.
You can also delete secret conversations on the same page.
8. Show your location
Facebook Messenger allows you to share your current location with any of your Facebook friends so they can easily contact you. To share your location:
Open any conversation and tap the plus sign (+) in the lower left corner.
Touch the Location icon (arrow icon on the right) and you will see a map with a pin displayed at the exact location.
Click Start Sharing Live Location and your friend will know where to find you.
9. Sending a video message
Just like sending voice messages, you can use Facebook Messenger to send video messages to your contacts. To do this, in Facebook Messenger in your browser:
Open a conversation and click on the camera icon in the lower left corner.
Select Capture Video, record your video message and send it.
Similarly, to send a video message in the Facebook Messenger mobile app:
Open any conversation and tap the camera icon On the camera screen, press and hold the button in the center to create a video. As soon as you release this button, your video will start playing.
Now click Share to share it with your contact.
10. Audio / video calls or sending a voice message
Going beyond a text conversation, Facebook Messenger allows you to make voice and video calls with your contacts.
Just open any conversation and tap the voice or video call icon in the top right corner. You can also send voice messages to your contacts by pressing the microphone icon at the bottom of and then pressing the red record button.
11. Group management
Most messaging apps let you create and manage group conversations, and Facebook Messenger is no exception. This feature is especially useful when you have to coordinate with several of your Facebook friends, and sometimes even non-friends.
You can create a group by doing the following:
Tap the new message icon in the upper right corner and a list of suggested contacts will appear.
Select the ones you want to add to the group and click Done.
If the people you want to add to the group are not in the list of suggested contacts, you can find them in the search box above. You can even add people to your group who are not among your Facebook friends.
After creating a group, you can proceed to the group setting, from which you can change the color theme of the group, assign aliases to members, change the name of the group, and make other settings.
12. Disable group notifications
Facebook Messenger group conversations are very useful for communicating and coordinating with a group of friends at the same time. However, when group members start sharing messages that have nothing to do with you, then you don't see a choice but to turn off notifications. To disable group notifications:
On the Chat tab, swipe left on a group conversation.
Click on the bell icon and choose how long you want this group chat to be muted.
You will see a menu window with different time intervals - from 15 minutes to 24 hours and even a 'until turn it on again' turn in which you can disable notifications.
If you don't want to just turn off notifications but not receive them at all, there is an option in the group settings to ignore messages.
After enabling this option, the group will be moved to the list of filtered messages and you will not receive any notifications.
In addition, none of your group members will know that you have ignored group messages.
Note . The notification mute feature is not available on the Messenger mobile app.
13. Making stories
You can use Facebook Messenger to create and share stories with your friends. Like Instagram and Snapchat, you can share a photo or video that your friends can view and it lasts for 24 hours. To create history :
Go to the "History" button in the upper left corner and click on the plus (+).
It will go to your photo album where you can select photos or videos or access your camera to take it right away.
You can publish your story to all the people in your Facebook contacts or send it to selected people as a message. Just select the contacts you want to share your story with and click send.
Note . This option is only available in the Messenger mobile app.
14.
View history anonymously If you want to see your friends' history on Facebook Messenger anonymously, then this feature is for you. In the Messenger app, click "People" at the bottom, and then click "Stories" in the top right corner of . Here you will see all the stories your friends have shared in the last 24 hours. Even though the story will be shown as a thumbnail, it's still big enough for anyone to figure out what it's about.
However, one of the downsides of this trick is that you can't see all the stories your friends have shared, and only the most recent one will be visible to you.
15. Adding aliases
Facebook Messenger allows you to change any of your contact names and give them a nickname of your choice. Here's how to do it:
Click on your contact's name and navigate to Edit Nicknames.
Set a nickname for your friend.
Now click Save.
Setting aliases can also help you distinguish between your contacts if more than one of them has the same name.
Note . Only you and your friend will be able to see the nickname you have given them.
16. Games with friends
Facebook Messenger invites you to play games with any of your contacts that you are talking to.
Just open a conversation with one of your contacts and click the 9 icon0117 game console on the chat panel . This will open a menu window showing many different games.
You can simply click "Play" to send an invitation and start playing a game with your contact right in the conversation.
Note . This option is only available in Messenger in your browser, not in the Messenger mobile app.
17. Adding additional accounts
For those who have more than one account Facebook, Facebook Messenger allows you to add all additional accounts in the same application. To add more accounts to the Messenger app:
Click on your profile picture to go to your settings.
Click Change Account and then click Add in the top right corner. From here, you can add as many accounts to the Messenger app as you like.
You can also click "Create a New Account" at the bottom of the same page to create a new Facebook account directly from the Messenger app.
18. Checking messages from “not friends”
In Facebook Messenger, you only see messages from people who are already on your friends list. However, sometimes you may receive messages from people who are not on your friends list. To check messages like this:
Click on your profile picture to go to your settings.
Click Request Messages and you will see all messages sent to you by non-friends on Facebook.
19. Creating a survey
It can be really difficult to get a group to make a decision or to ask their opinion on a certain issue. However, through Facebook Messenger, you can solve this problem by creating a poll with any number of questions.
