Facebook Messenger Launches Group Calling Service
Facebook as of now permits users to make calls to individual users, but what if user are trying to organize some kind of conference call, according to a recent post by Facebook’s David Marcus, The good news is that the company has decided to roll out a group calling feature for Messenger users that can allow a user add 50 participants simultaneously over the Internet.
According to Marcus, “Really excited to announce the global roll-out of the group calling in Messenger today. From any group conversations, just tap on the phone icon to initiate a group call. You can then manage individual participants on the next screen. If you have the latest version of Messenger, you should see the phone icon appear in group conversations within the next 24 hours.”
Messenger's most recent feature was set to be taken off globally over the next 24 hours on iOS devices and Android for free and users can start a group Voice over IP ( VoIP) audio call from any group chat, TechCrunch reported.
Voice over IP (VoIP) is an approach and group of technologies for multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks and the delivery of voice communications such as the internet.
"There are situations where typing is not enough and when people prefer talking to one another," a Messenger spokesperson was quoted as saying.
This seems to apply to both the iOS and Android versions of the app, so no need to worry about it arriving on one platform before the other. Users who miss out on a call can easily join in by tapping the phone icon, like to how Skype calls work. The user can also see who all are joined in the call and can add participants to the group conversation. But there are some limitations also in the sense that user can’t make a group call for their entire Facebook friend’s network.
A user needs to just tap the "Phone" icon, to start a group call, select which of the group chat members he or she wants to include and call. Then all the selected members will receive a Messenger call simultaneously.
As per the Facebook who explained the limitations, the limit on group calls is 50. That’s a pretty huge number and it appears unlikely that many of us would be making such calls, but either way it is there if user needs it. This will also need users to have the latest version of the app, so update if you have not done so already.