’Tis the season of giving, and Facebook’s just given us all an early Christmas present with its latest new feature.
Once again making it easier to keep in touch with friends and family, the social giant has boosted its video chat feature, now letting you enjoy group chats wherever you are.
While that might not sound so special, Google Hangouts and Skype already let you enjoy video calls 10 people strong, Facebook is taking things to the next level.
The updated feature means you can now chat face-to-face with up to 50 people at once, perfect for spreading yuletide joy with minimum effort.
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You’ll need to make sure you’re running the most recent version of the Facebook Messenger software to enjoy the new feature which is available on both iOS and Android now.
Within an existing group chat, tapping the new video icon will send everyone within the group a nudge to get ready to be on camera.
If you’re worried that 50 people sounds like a lot of faces to try cram onto one smartphone or tablet screen, stop your fretting.
As soon as the group video exceeds six users, only the dominant speaker will be shown.
This update isn’t just about looking at more mates, either. The video chat feature now also lets you drop Snapchat-style animated features on to your friends’ faces too.
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Will this feature make your Christmas easier? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.