Facebook Messenger Rooms Download
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You can create rooms that are open to anyone who has the link, including those without a Facebook profile, or limit it to Facebook users. But be aware that Facebook video chat is not end-to-end encrypted.
Zoom is user friendly and allows for meeting invitations through use of a link, or by dialing into the conference via a phone number. Zoom also has the option to enforce a password for an extra layer of security. Messenger Rooms uses the audience already built into the Facebook and Facebook Messenger app. This makes it easy to share rooms in Facebook groups, events, or even on the newsfeed. This feature allows for Facebook users to drop into the video call. Since Facebook owns both WhatsApp and Instagram, advances such as rooms for Instagram Direct and WhatsApp groups will likely be added soon.
The chatrooms will be based around Facebook Messenger and Facebook Groups, and can be public or private. Guests can also join by link, without a Facebook account. As a competitor to Zoom, Facebook seems to be a budget option, hosting up to 50 people with no mention of a time limit. In comparison, Zoom calls with more than two people time-out after 40 minutes with the free version of the service.
Messenger Rooms looks eerily similar to Zoom and functions in much the same way. Participants can join without downloading an app. It also mirrors elements of the popular video app Houseparty: Facebook users will see notifications at the top of their news feed about new "rooms" their friends have created, so they can "drop in" as they want.
The company said Messenger Rooms will have default settings to protect meetings from intruders. People who create the rooms can control who is allowed to join. They can make a room open to anyone they are friends with on Facebook, or they can invite specific people.
Hosts can also create a link to invite people who are not on Facebook. Those links are less secure, as recipients could share them with others, who could then join rooms. Facebook will not require passwords to join. The platform says it is reducing the potential for abuse by allowing hosts to "lock" rooms so that no new participants can join. And if a host removes someone, the room automatically locks.
The social network is likely to face skepticism over how it treats users' personal data, given its patchy track record on privacy. Facebook said it does not listen to or watch video and audio calls, but it will collect data from rooms "to provide the service and improve the product experience." It said it will not run ads in rooms, and audio and video won't be used for ad targeting.
The service was tested in Argentina and Poland, where Facebook Messenger is heavily used. During testing, rooms could support 17 to 20 participants at a time, but Facebook said that number would grow to 50 over the coming weeks.
Your friends can join a private room when you share a link with them or you can just open one on your News Feed and see who pops in. Rooms are also available in groups and on event pages. You'll have the option to lock rooms to keep out interlopers or to boot people out of a group chat.
You won't need a Facebook account to join a room -- you can take part via a browser as well. You can start rooms from the latest version of the mobile Messenger and Facebook apps, as well as the desktop Messenger app and the Facebook website.
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