Messenger Rooms: Facebook’s Video-Conference Tool That Will Have Zoom Worried
If there has been a company that has managed to do relatively well out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been Zoom.
In March it was revealed daily users on the platform had reached 200 million, up from 10 million in December last year.
So it’s no surprise to see Facebook attempting to capture some of the booming video-conference market with Messenger Rooms, which was announced last week.
“Today, we are rolling out Messenger Rooms, which are joinable group video calls that make it easy to spend quality time with friends, loved ones and people who share your interests,” said Messenger VP
“Create a room right from Messenger or Facebook, and invite anyone to join, even if they don’t have a Facebook account. Rooms will soon hold up to 50 people with no time limit.”
Like Zoom, Messenger Rooms allows users to play around with different backgrounds, filters and AR-powered effects.
And with Zoom having come under significant criticism for its security protocols, Facebook is assuring users Messenger Rooms is safe to use.
“We built Rooms with privacy and safety top of mind so you can feel comfortable connecting with your friends, family and communities,” said
“We don’t view or listen to your calls, and the person who creates the room controls who can join, who sees the room, and if the room is locked or unlocked to new guests.”
Unlike Zoom, which kicks users on free accounts off calls after 40 minutes, there is no time limit on Messenger Rooms calls.
Messenger Rooms will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks.
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