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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.
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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.
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Facebook Messenger Rooms offers video calls for up to 50 people
- Facebook on Friday announced a slew of new video calling features.
- The new features include Messenger Rooms, which will allow Facebook and Messenger users to create group video calls of up to 50 people. Previously, Messenger video calls were limited to eight people.
- Between WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day, said Stan Chudnovsky, vice president of Messenger.
watch now
Facebook on Friday announced a slew of new video-calling features including Messenger Rooms, which allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people.
Messenger Rooms poses an immediate threat to Zoom and Houseparty, two video-calling products that have seen their usage skyrocket over the past month as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The new video features arrive as more users turn to Facebook apps to socialize with their friends and family while remaining in quarantine as a result of the pandemic.
Shares of Zoom, which had been up 3% on the day, fell as much as 5% on the news.
Messenger Rooms is the flagship of Facebook's new video-calling services. The free feature will allow Facebook and Messenger users to create group video calls of up to 50 people. By contrast, Messenger video calls are limited to eight people.
Facebook on Friday announced a slew of new video calling features including Messenger Rooms, which allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people.
Courtesy of Facebook
Messenger Rooms' 50-person limit will not be immediately available. Facebook users will see a smaller limit at launch, but it will soon ramp up to 50 people, a spokesman for the company told CNBC.
The limit will vary for users at launch, the spokesman said.
By comparison, Zoom allows up to 100 people to video chat for free for up to 40 minutes. Houseparty supports up to eight people.
Video calls on Messenger Rooms have no time limit, and they will include features like augmented reality filters that allow people to add silly masks to their faces. Room hosts will also be able to lock the calls and remove users. Facebook and Messenger users can create Messenger Rooms, and they can invite anyone to join, including people who don't have a Facebook account.
Messenger Rooms will start rolling out to users on Friday, and it'll ramp up to more regions over the coming weeks.
Facebook also announced that it's doubling WhatsApp's video call person limit from four people to eight people. Additionally, the company is introducing a video calling feature to Facebook Dating so users of that service can go on virtual dates.
"Between WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day," the company said in a blog post.
"In many countries, video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more than doubled, and views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly in March."
Facebook said it will also expand its Facebook and Instagram livestreaming features. Instagram users, for example, will now be able to post their livestreams to IGTV, giving followers a longer time window to watch livestreams after they've been recorded.
WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP
WATCH LIVEWATCH IN THE APP
Video calling (video chat) on Facebook and Facebook Messenger
Facebook provides free video calling via Messenger.
See also: Top 10: Video calling services
2020. Facebook launches desktop version of Messenger due to the growing number of video calls making video calls (Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams) 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. Free video calls appeared in Facebook Messenger
As we have already noted, Facebook Messenger has become the main product 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 networks. 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 introduces video calling to Facebook
A few weeks ago, Skype introduced the ability to chat with your Facebook friends, like and comment on Facebook posts, directly 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. ***
Maximum number of participants, time limit, etc.
Although Facebook and its standalone messaging app Messenger have been around for a while, we still continue to receive updates for both. Facebook recently updated its Messenger app with a group calling feature to compete with the likes of Zoom, Google Meet and more. While the latter tend to be more business-focused, Facebook's messaging rooms fit the company's social vibe.
But how does Facebook Messenger compare to other big wigs on the market right now? With that in mind, here's everything you need to know about the limitations of Facebook Messenger to help you better choose your next video conferencing app.
What is Facebook Messenger? In 2010, Messenger became a separate entity with its own standalone app. The app has brought with it a range of features such as voice and video calls, stickers, and more.
Recently, with social distancing in place, Facebook introduced its group calling solution. A new feature called "Messaging Rooms" was added to the existing app and allowed users to create rooms that people could go in and out of.
Member limit Facebook Messenger
Messenger allows you to create groups in the app. It works like any other app where you choose who you want to have in your group. An added feature is that you can call all group members directly from the group chat itself.
Facebook Messenger allows you to join up to 250 people in one group. If you create a call in a group, you can only select 8 people that you want to join.
Meanwhile, Messenger Rooms allows you to have a group call with up to 50 people at the same time. Once the limit is reached, no new people can join until someone leaves the room.
| Type of service Facebook | The maximum number of participants for the meeting | Facebook Messenger | 8 | ||
| Facebook Service Type | Facebook Messenger Session Time Limit |
| Facebook Messenger | Unlimited |
| Messaging Rooms | Unlimited |
Facebook Messenger Free Limit
Fortunately, there is no limit in this regard. That's because both Facebook Messenger and Messenger Rooms require you to have a Facebook account and be completely free! There are no subscription fees or account types on Facebook.
Facebook Messenger is a fun app that is constantly updated with new features.
