Facebook Adds Messenger Rooms – Free Group Video Feature

Amid COVID-19 as more and more people are turning to video chat, video calling software is becoming hugely popular. To compete with these apps – Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Skype, Facebook has introduced a feature named Messenger Rooms. Using it you will be able to video chat with up to 50 people without any time limit.

What’s Messenger Rooms?

Messenger Rooms isn’t a separate app. Instead, it is a feature added to Facebook or Messenger app. In simple words it is an alternative to Zoom, answer for all security and privacy concerns raised against zoom.

Messenger Rooms is a secure and user-friendly feature using which people can join a chat without a Facebook account.

Will it be safe to use Facebook’s Messenger Rooms?

Facebook’s CEO in the live stream on Friday said the company has learned the lesson. Looking at the security problem faced by other video calling apps Facebook has taken all mandatory measures to secure user data.

Room creators have the control to allow or disallow a person to join. Besides, there are other security measures like:

Locking: Once a call starts Messenger Rooms can be locked or unlocked. No one can join a locked room, except Group admin for rooms created through Group.

Removing a participant: Unwanted or notorious participants can be removed from the room by the room creator. Removing a person from a call automatically locks the room. This means room creators will have to unlock the call for others to join.

Leaving: Anyone anytime can leave the room irrespective of it being locked.

Reporting: If you believe a certain room has violated Community Standards you can report it.

Blocking: You can block unwanted participants on Facebook Messenger without letting them know. However, when someone is blocked, you’ll not be able to join their room and vice versa.

Rooms use the same technology as Messenger, to encrypt a video and audio conversation.

Are Messenger Rooms available worldwide?

In a Livestream on Friday, Mark Zuckerberg said Messenger Rooms will be rolled out in certain countries before expanding globally.

How to create a Facebook Messenger Room?

If you are lucky to have Facebook’s Messenger Rooms feature follow the steps to use it:

1. Launch the Messenger app.
2. Tap People tab > Create a Room > select person’s whom you want to join.
3. To allow non-Facebook users to join the video chat, share the link with them. The room can also be shared in Events, News Feed, & Groups.

Alternatively using a phone or computer you can join Messenger Rooms

In the coming weeks, Facebook will add Messenger Rooms to WhatsApp, Instagram Direct.

Will Rooms show ads?

Though Facebook will not intercept or save audio and video it won’t be using it to inform ads.

Undoubtedly Messenger Rooms is the answer for Zoom’s biggest obstacle but a paying subscriber will not ditch Zoom for Messenger Rooms. Also, for corporates, Facebook is not an official video calling app. All this concerns me, but the privacy measures taken by Messenger Rooms will help overcome all obstacles. We hope you will give it a try. Please share your feedback in the comments section.