Facebook is adding voice and video calling capabilities to the main app

Voice and Video calling for Facebook.

Tuesday, 24th August 2021

Facebook Inc. introduced voice and video calls to its flagship social networking service, which is the latest attempt to tweak its communication features after splitting Messenger into a separate app in 2014.

Some users, including users in the United States, will be able to make voice or video calls on the Facebook app starting August 24. The new feature is just a trial run, but it's designed to reduce the need to switch between Facebook's main app and its Messenger service, said Connor Hayes, director of product manager for Messenger.

Facebook also began testing a limited version of the Messenger inbox in the main Facebook app last fall. Messenger was once integrated into the Facebook app, but the company developed it seven years ago, forcing users to download a separate app to send private messages from their mobile phones.

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Monday's test was the latest slow but steady effort to integrate all of Facebook's applications and services internally. Hayes said Facebook started treating Messenger as a service, not just a standalone app. This means that people will use this technology with other things; For example, when they watch videos or play games on Facebook, they rely on Messenger for video chats. Voice and video calls using Messenger technology can be used on other Facebook platforms, including Instagram, Oculus, and Portal devices.

"Over time, you'll start to see more of these things," Hayes said. He described Messenger as "the connective tissue that people can put together when separated, no matter what service they choose to use."

Also Read: WhatsApp Launches Joinable Group Calls, Allowing Users to Get Out Of the Call and Rejoin.

Facebook first enabled messaging between its Instagram app and Messenger in September last year and plans to do so too. presented its messaging service WhatsApp. CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that the integration of the company's messaging services is beneficial for users as it allows them to reach more people and reduces the need to download or jump between different applications.

Also Read: New WhatsApp feature helps you transfer chat data between iOS and Android.

Critics argue that Facebook is intertwining its services in a way that could make spinning off the company impossible. Federal regulators filed an antitrust lawsuit last week in an attempt to force Facebook to ditch its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Indian Express