The feature, which looks set to rival competitor Zoom, will soon allow people to video call with up to 50 people, with no time limit.
While Messenger currently allows users to speak to friends on the app individually and in groups, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a livestream announcing the project that video rooms allow calls to be scheduled ahead of time.
“The major difference between video calling and video rooms is that with video calling, you’re actually calling multiple people and ringing their phone.
“With video rooms, you set up a room and invite people to join ahead of time, usually by sending a link,” he said.
The feature will allow anyone to create a room on Messenger, or on Facebook through News Feed, Groups and Events, and will allow anyone to join the video call – including those without an account.
“If your friends or communities create rooms that are open to you, you’ll see them on Facebook so you can find things to do and people to hang out with.
“When you’re invited to a room, you can join from your phone or computer — no need to download anything to get started,” Facebook said in a blog post.
The launch of the new feature forms part of a wider update around video calls across Facebook services, with WhatsApp planning to cater for up to eight people in a group voice or video call.
Elsewhere, Facebook will reinstate a feature which allows profiles to co-host livestreams on the platform, while Instagram users will be able to watch live videos on desktops and save their own livestreams to IGTV.
The Messenger Rooms service will be available in some countries this week, before expanding to other areas “in coming weeks”.
Want More?
Find out more about Facebook’s kids-focussed Messenger app, or read about the platform expanding Messenger Avatars across Europe.
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