Messenger Rooms is Facebook’s answer to Zoom and HousepartyÂ
Facebook is expanding its video chat offering across multiple products to include group chats. The move comes as a response to the growing popularity of Zoom, which many workplaces rely on for communication.Â
In addition, Facebook is also doubling the capacity of video calls on WhatsApp up to eight people. Facebook Dating is getting a new video calling feature, while Facebook and Instagram both get new live-streaming features.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes during a live stream on Friday, April 24.Â
More and more people are working from home amidst the global pandemic gripping the globe. Millions of people now find themselves staying indoors and working digitally.
Those changes mean video calling services have seen an explosion in growth since March.Â
Facebook Responds to Zoom
Zoom grew exponentially under the new stay-at-home guidelines issued by governors. The videoconferencing service only had 10 million users in December. By the end of April 2020, Zoom’s userbase ballooned to 300 million.
Another app called Houseparty saw an explosion in growth, too. Houseparty gained 50 million new users over the last month alone as friends seek to connect online.
Facebook is always paranoid that a new upstart competitor will replace it. It has a history of copying features from Snapchat, TikTok, and even Instagram – its own product. Messenger Rooms is the most obvious response to the rise of services like Zoom and Houseparty.
How Messenger Rooms Works
Facebook says the new feature will be available globally “sometime in the next few weeks.” It will allow up to 50 people to join a single call. The room’s creator can lock the call or leave it open to allow guests to join.
Both Facebook and Messenger sites will be able to host the 50+ people chats. Later, the feature will roll out to Instagram Direct, Facebook Portal, and WhatsApp.
Facebook’s augmented reality features from Facebook Live also work in Rooms. The company is working on bringing new AR filters to brighten dark rooms and touch-ups.
One thing to note – calls in Messenger Rooms are not end-to-end encrypted. Zoom made headlines in January when a vulnerability allowed hackers to eavesdrop on calls. The vulnerability would have also allowed hackers to access any documents shared during the video meeting.
Zoom says it has since fixed the security vulnerability as soon as it was discovered. However, issues like these highlight just how insecure video conferencing can be. Zuckerberg says Rooms will have strong privacy controls, despite no end-to-end encryption.
