How to Make Facebook Messenger Video Calls

Facebook has added a new feature to Messenger that could make other chat apps redundant. With Video Calling in Facebook Messenger, you no longer have to rely on Skype, Viber or FaceTime to talk with your friends face-to-face. The new feature makes it easy to see your Facebook contacts across iOS and Android mobile devices (same steps on PC or Mac) and it eliminates the need for exchanging Skype IDs or phone numbers. Anyone on your Facebook friends list is automatically accessible.

The new feature is currently available in a host of countries including Canada, Croatia, France, Laos, Nigeria, the UK and the US, and will be coming to other regions in the coming months. It's a cinch to use. Here's how:

1. Open the Messenger app.

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2. Find the friend you want to talk to.

3. Tap the video icon on the top right of the screen. You'll only be able to connect to people who are online on Messenger.

Your call should connect immediately. You can also turn a voice call into video by tapping the video button on the call screen.

Staff writer Cherlynn Low uses WhatsApp, Tango, Viber and Skype to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. Follow her @cherlynnlow. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide and on Facebook.

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Cherlynn Low

Cherlynn is Deputy Editor, Reviews at Engadget and also leads the site's Google reporting. She graduated with a Master’s in Journalism from Columbia University before joining Tom's Guide and its sister site LaptopMag as a staff writer, where she covered wearables, cameras, laptops, computers and smartphones, among many other subjects.