Facebook Messenger Rooms now available in India: How to get started

Facebook took video calling up a notch by introducing 'Messenger Rooms' which also rivals apps like Zoom and Houseparty. This new feature which is built within the Messenger app supports up to 50 people in a video call, and lets people without a Facebook account join.

Facebook is currently testing Messenger Rooms in a few countries and it should reach all users globally in the coming weeks. In India, Messenger Rooms is already available and on its Android, iOS apps including the desktop version as well. You will probably need to update the Messenger to the latest version to get the new feature.

Here's how you can get started with Messenger Rooms.

On Android and iOS, open Messenger then select 'People' from the bottom bar. Here, you'll see a 'Create Room' option on top. Tap on that and it will open up to a video chat box. It's much easier on Messenger's desktop app since there's more space. You will see the Create Room icon on top just next to the settings gear icon. You'll also be asked to join as and you can accept it to open your Messenger Room.

Now once you're here, you can share the link of your Messenger Room by selecting the 'Share Link' option below for Android and iOS. On the desktop app, you'll have to select the call participants icon available on the bottom bar. You can then copy the link and share it with others via apps like WhatsApp.

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You can also choose to share the link with only people on Facebook or anyone without a Facebook account. Note that users who have access to your Messenger Room link will get to see your Facebook profile name and display picture. You can also lock the room which will prevent others from joining it.

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On Messenger Rooms, users can have video calls with up to 50 people. There's also an option to share screens but this feature is restricted to Messenger's desktop app. You can also tap on each participant's icon and view their Facebook profile or chat with them. There's however no option to chat within the group video call on Messenger Rooms. It instead opens up the chat to the Messenger app.