Facebook Launches Group Video Chat For Up To 6 Messenger Users. It Could Be More But There’s A Catch

Facebook Messenger has come a long way from being a simple instant messaging tool to being a platform businesses can use to connect directly with customers. The latest update to the service now allows you to “group video” chat with up to six people at once. The feature had always been expected with the launch of group voice chat in April. In a blog post by Stephane Taine who is the Product Manager at the Messenger division in Facebook, it says “with 245 million people making video calls in Messenger every month, now we’re bringing everyone on Messenger the ability to turn group chats into face-to-face conversations no matter where you are – whether you’re down the street or halfway across the world.”  

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To use it, you would have to use an existing conversation or create a new one and then tap on the video icon at the upper right of the screen. Now it says, only six people can use this at a time but if the group is more than 6 but not more than 50, other participants would only be able to listen, speak and send files only. They won’t appear in the video galley. For up to 4 users, users can view each other on big screens but beyond that, it switches to a galley format.  

Facebook owned WhatsApp also launched its own video calling service but is yet to allow it in group chats.