[ad_1]
Video calls and virtual meetings have become our new normal during this pandemic, and everyone from Zoom to Microsoft to Google wants a piece. Today, Facebook threw its hat into the ring by announcing Messenger Rooms, bringing massive improvements to its chat application’s video capabilities, including the ability to support up to 50 participants at a time.
Putting mass meetings aside, one of the main differences between Messenger Rooms and regular Messenger video calls is that you don’t have to download an app, or even have a Facebook account, to join. Just click on the link and you can join on the go, although Zuckerberg noted that using the Messenger app provides “the best experience”.
Naturally, the feature has close integration with Facebook. When creating a room, you have the option to share it in your feed, in groups or on event pages, so that people can enter and exit whenever they want.
Of course, most of us don’t exactly want to video chat with everybody on our friends list, so you can limit visibility to a few users or make the room private so you need a link to join.
Unsurprisingly, the app supports fake backgrounds like Zoom, though Facebook goes a bit further by letting you set up 360-degree backgrounds that move like it does. You can also use the AR filters you’re used to, but the company says it also offers 14 new filters to tweak the lighting during your video calls to make things look a little more interesting.
In a related move, WhatsApp announced today that it would increase the size of group calls to eight participants today. While that’s not as much as Messenger Rooms, it’s worth noting that WhatsApp video calls are end-to-end encrypted. Messenger calls are not, although Facebook says it does not tune into your calls.
While it’s hard to imagine a company cutting Zoom’s momentum during the pandemic, Facebook’s ubiquity obviously gives it an edge. Their audiences don’t completely overlap either; While I would use Messenger to organize a video call with friends, I do not plan to use it for work meetings any time soon.
Messenger Rooms will launch from now on and will be available on the Facebook app in the coming weeks.
on Facebook
Read below:
The idea of Trump’s ‘disinfectant injections’ comes directly from Internet conspiracy theories.
Crown coverage
Read our daily coverage on how the tech industry is responding to coronavirus and subscribe to our weekly Coronavirus in Context newsletter.
For tips and tricks on how to work remotely, check out our Growth Quarters articles here or follow us on Twitter.
[ad_2]
