The folks behind Facebook have been busy recently, introducing a slew of features to their popular messaging app. First, Facebook Messenger introduced My Day, an added feature that allows users to post photos and videos that can be viewed for 24-hours ala Snapchat and Instagram’s Stories. They followed that up by announcing the launch of a split-screen group video chat feature that allows up to six users to appear onscreen at the same time. The feature also lifts another Snapchat feature by allowing users to have fun with selfie masks while on the video call.
As noted by Techcrunch.com, apart from having up to six people appear split-screen during the video call, the Facebook Messenger update also allows up to 50 users to listen in and talk over the video call, while also being able to send texts, stickers, emojis and GIFs. The new feature was scheduled to rollout worldwide Monday on iOS, Android and on desktops. It is free to use over Wi-Fi, and as is the case with the old video call feature, standard data charges will apply on mobile connections. The report also points out that Android users will have to wait for the MSQRD-powered selfie masks.
The feature allows you to invite any group of Messenger users or members of an entire group chat to a group video call. The first six users to join will appear on a split-screen, while the rest of the group (up to 50) can just chime in via the fore mentioned voice, texts, emojis, stickers and GIFs. You can also add more users to an ongoing video call.
Facebook’s native messaging app first released its on-one video-calling feature in April of last year. Techcrunch notes that some 245 million users make video calls on Messenger everyday. The new feature follows app Houseparty’s lead, which pioneered the first split-screen video chat feature.