Facebook Messenger brings Group Video Calling with up to 6 people on-screen
After updating Messenger Camera with 3D Special Effects, Stickers and Masks, Facebook has added the most awaited feature of ‘Group Video Calling’ to its Messenger app. Facebook Messenger now lets you do group video call with up to 6 people on-screen and up to 50 people via voice or camera.
Starting a group video call on Facebook Messenger works the same way as it does for one-to-one video calls in the app. Messenger users will now see the video call icon in groups as well. To start a group video call, users need to go to an already existing group on Messenger, or create a new one, and tap the video call icon, besides the call icon.
Messenger users can also select ‘Start Group Call’ from the menu and then select people with whom they want to do group video call. Users will be able to see up to 6 people on-screen during the group video call. Though up to 50 people can join the conversation, you cannot see more than 6 people on-screen, others will be available via voice. A neat feature in group video calls on Messenger is the ability to put on live masks while you are in a group video call.
The group video call feature will surely give Facebook Messenger an upper-hand over Google Duo, Apple’s FaceTime and WhatsApp which offers only one-to-one video calling.
More and more people use messaging in groups for lots of different reasons like keeping everyone up to date, planning a family vacation or to share a few jokes. With 245 million people making video calls in Messenger every month, now we’re bringing everyone on Messenger the ability to turn group chats into face-to-face conversations no matter where you are – whether you’re down the street or halfway across the world.
– Stephane Taine, Product Manager, Facebook Messenger.
The group video calling feature on Facebook Messenger has been rolled out to all Android, iOS and Web version users. While, for Windows 10 devices it should arrive in next few weeks.
