Video conferencing has become the staple of today’s industry, and the only real way of managing ways. One might even say, that 2020 is the year of video conferencing, and thus, it is no surprise that every tech giant is launching its own version of the service. Messenger Rooms, a platform that allows users to make video calls with upto 50 participants will now allow you to make your calls live using the Facebook Live feature, bringing the best of the both worlds together.
Starting a video conference is fairly simple. In the messenger app, tap the ‘People’ tab at the bottom and go to ‘Create a room’ which will appear at the top of the menu. In a Zoom like fashion, a link will appear, which can be sent out to participants willing to enter meetings. You can even restrict the attendees to be ‘only people on facebook’. It is worth mentioning that there is no time limit on the calls, unlike Zoom, which is a big plus for the platform.
After all the participants are set, get ready to broadcast your conversations to the entire world. To make the room go live, press the ‘LIVE’ logo on the bottom right. Then select where the broadcast is desired – your timeline, a page or a group. Users can also select their audiences. It must be noted that unless he participants join in, the livestream won’t be established. However, if any participant doesn’t respond, the creator of the room can remove them. Once that’s done, press the ‘Start’ button and ‘Live’ away.
The creator of a room decides who can join the room and who can see it on Facebook or Messenger. They can choose to invite more people, including those without a facebook account. Even after the calls begin, the creator can remove any unwanted guest present. To stop more participants from joining, the call can just be locked. Facebook also lets you block users without them knowing it.
This new feature can be used for various purposes. This opens up a new type of live video podcasting, where hosts can just establish calls with their guests and go ‘Live’. Gamers who use streaming services can now introduce other players in a multiplayer setup without the need of using multiple software services. Educators can hold a virtual class and temporarily add participants who want to have an interaction to clarify doubts. The opportunities are endless.
The coronavirus pandemic has led the masses to engage more in video conferencing. Various platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams rose to popularity with more and more users joining in. From online classes to official meetings, video conferencing has found in place in everybody’s essentials list this year. When it comes to Facebook, they took a dive in the competition with their Messenger Rooms. There is no requirement of a social media account to log in for attending conferences. One could simply share a call link to all attendees.
For now, this feature is rolling out to some countries only. Eventually, it will reach all countries where Messenger Rooms are available.
