Messenger Rooms is a Facebook video-chat app that launched in April 2020 as demand for video-chat platforms swelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The app builds on Facebook Messenger, which is an encrypted messaging app that allows users to communicate via direct message, similar to texting but without the need for a phone connection.
“Lately, Facebook has felt the demand for real-time video,” the tech giant wrote in a recent blog post announcing the app launch. “Between WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day.”
The blog post added that video-calling features on Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp In “more-than doubled” in March, “and views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly” for the same month.
Rooms is a step up from the video-call features on Messenger and WhatsApp, including the ability for users to multiple people at once. Facebook said in the blog post that it hopes to reach a maximum limit of 50 people per call “soon.”
Users can also start and share Rooms calls on their News Feeds or on Facebook Pages and Groups, depending on which participants users want to add to calls. The blog post said users will “soon” be able to “create rooms from Instagram Direct, WhatsApp and Portal, too.”
Facebook Messenger Rooms app through Facebook Portal / Facebook.com
Those who have Facebook’s Messenger app can unlock augmented reality effects, 360-degree backgrounds and “mood lighting,” the blog post says.
Participants also have the ability to add, remove guests, block and report guests or lock video chats so new users can’t join. These features are meant to ensure user privacy and safety. While Rooms does not offer-end-to-end encryption, the company is “actively working toward” such a feature, according to the post.
Children under 13 should not use Facebook or any of its apps besides Messenger Kids.
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.
