Facebook has a new group video chat feature called Messenger Rooms, and it appears to be a direct challenger to Zoom. With so many now staying home due to the various coronavirus lockdown orders in place around the world, there's a huge demand for video calling features and this is likely why Facebook has opted to launch the new feature now.
Zoom has raised security concerns in recent weeks. Users have been facing a variety of issues, ranging from Zoombombings to dangerous password leaks and this has prompted some companies and governments to abandon using Zoom for internal communications. Despite its issues, Zoom continues to be a popular platform, and one of the reasons is the lack of any direct competition. A big advantage of the service is the free version that lets users host group chats with up to one hundred participants, even though Zoom only allows group chat sessions to last 40 minutes. While other major video-conferencing apps, like Skype and Microsoft Teams, are proficient platforms, they are primarily designed for professional communications. Therefore, Zoom has the unique selling point of being simpler and a more flexible interface, making it perfect for new users.
With Messenger Rooms, Facebook seems to be gunning for Zoom's niche of a group video chat facility that is easy to use, and especially for first-time users. The feature was announced along with a few other updates to the company's products and services. For now, it is only available in select countries. although a global expansion is expected to happen in the coming weeks. For those users in a supported location, Messenger Rooms is available for both desktop and mobile.
What Messenger Rooms Offers
One of the highlights of Messenger Rooms is that even those without a Facebook account can join a video chat with an invitation. However, to create a meeting room and start chatting, one will need access to Facebook Messenger in general. Just like Zoom, users can make rooms for meetings and let others join. The option to do this is on the Messenger apps' people or chat pages. Once a room is created, assigned an activity, and privacy settings chosen, users can start inviting people to join. Rooms can be shared through newsfeed, groups and events as well. Those who are not using Messenger or Facebook can join with a link. As in Zoom, users can also remove people from calls and lock the rooms if they want.
For those taking part in chat through the Messenger app, there are many additional features to explore. including Augmented Reality effects, AI-driven immersive 360-degree backgrounds, as well as mood lighting. At present, it's not clear if Facebook will allow custom backgrounds like Zoom does. However, the full version of Messenger Rooms can host up to 50 participants in a single chat, and has no limit on call-time - unlike with Zoom's 40-minute limit on a single session.
Facebook also explained that in the future, users will be able to create rooms through Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal. This is a smart move since a lot of users overlap between these and often have to depend on apps like Zoom for a group video chat with their friends or contacts. If Facebook can integrate Messenger Rooms with these products and services, then it might lure more users away from third-party video-conferencing apps. The social media giant has also stressed the security benefits of Messenger Rooms, reserving an entire page for the various safety measures that have been taken to make sure the group video experience is secure. A Facebook move that's most likely in response to Zoom's security issues.
Source: Facebook