Facebook Messenger Rooms Now Live Globally: Here's How To Use It

Facebook's new Messenger Rooms app, a video chat app aimed at competing against popular platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Teams, Meets and more, is now live across the globe.

Messenger Rooms is the Mark Zuckerberg-helmed company's attempt at overtaking the growth enjoyed by video conferencing apps such as Zoom during the current COVID-19 pandemic, TechCrunch reported. The social media giant is using the same principles used to push Facebook and Instagram into people's feeds.

The new video chat app is totally free and allows up to 50 people to join in a single video conversation online, for as long as callers want as there's virtually no time limits on calls.

Calls via Messenger Rooms are initiated via the Facebook Messenger app. It can be used by anybody, including those who don't use Facebook or don't have a Facebook account. This feature makes Messenger Rooms a viable option for those who do not want to spend their stay at home hours on social media but need to be connected amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Calls in the app are called “Rooms.” Users who want to have a video call are required to create Rooms that participants will need to enter to join in the call. Participants won't need to download anything in order to join Rooms. What's more, participants can join Rooms using their smartphones or computers.

How to use the video chat app

For those who already have Messenger Rooms, here's how to use it:

• First, users will need to launch the Facebook Messenger app.

• Second, users should look for the People tab at the bottom of the screen then tap on it.

• Third, after that, users should create a Room, then select the people they want to invite to join.

Once a Room is created and the invitations are sent out, the user will need to wait for people to join in. Sharing the link to the Room in the News Feed, a Group or Event, or sending the link to a person who is not on Facebook, will also work to bring more people inside the Room. Facebook will also alert friends if a Room is created in Messenger Rooms.

Facebook is also working on allowing users to initiate and join calls from inside Instagram, DMs, WhatsApp and on Portal. This feature might arrive soon.