Voice over Internet Protocal, or VoIP, has become increasing popular in the last few years and has revolutionized the way that we make calls. This technology allows you to talk to friends and loved ones all over the world for next to nothing. Not to be left out of the fun, Facebook has decided to get in on the party by integrating VoIp calls within its Messenger app. It will not support free VoIP calls.
Facebook is not completely new to the game. They did begin offering desktop video calling back in 2011 in a partnership with Skype. But, this new technology means that Facebook has gone out on their own.
The messenger app has about 600 million users currently. And, it is safe to say that the new video chat feature will bring even more people to Facebook. This will give Facebook a powerful tool and people will find it very useful.
Video calling will be available on the Android and the iOS platforms in many parts of the world. It will roll out to even more people in the coming months. Fortunately, the app is simple to use. All you do is start a conversation with a friend in Messenger and then click on the camera icon at the top to start video calling. You will need to use your front facing camera by default. But, you will be given the option to use the rear camera as well.
The nice thing about the app is the call quality will be adjusted to accommodate the type of connection you are on. Also, the app will let you know if the signal is too low to continue in video and will switch over to audio only. This is a free service to use with all of your Facebook friends. It would be a good idea, however, to use it on WiFi because video will take a considerable amount of your wireless bandwidth If you do it regularly. Another nice feature is one person can turn off video to conserve bandwidth and the other can leave theirs on if they are trying to show something to the person they are talking with.
Keep in mind that VoIP on the messenger app is relatively new so it is in early development. Currently you can only do one on one video calls. But, that will be sure to change as the technology is improved and Facebook puts more work into the service. With the amount of people on Facebook this is sure to be a service that many will take advantage of using. And, it may be enough to make other services like Skype a little nervous.