Ever since Google launched it’s latest social networking project Google+, Facebook has been hot at it’s heels. Google+ started a video calling feature known as ‘Hangout’; and following in it’s footsteps was Facebook, who launched a video calling feature of their own, powered by Skype, for the 800 million+ members in their network. Video calling on Facebook is free to use, and with it, you can not only chat with your friends and loved ones but also see them smile face to face :). So let’s get started and explore this exciting new feature.

What do I need for video calling?

All you need is working webcam, and a microphone :). Although unlike Google+, these are not requirements for starting a video call. If you don’t have a webcam, you can still see and hear your friend (provided that he/she has a webcam and microphone). But your friend will only be able to hear you and not see you (of course :P).
You will also need to update your browser. Facebook video calling is supported by the latest versions of Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer web browsers. So please ensure that your browser is up to date. Windows users will also need to ensure that they have the latest version of DirectX installed.

Let’s get started!

So now that you have the necessary requirements (hopefully), you are ready to go. To set up video calling, all you need to do is open up your chat box and click on the Video call button at the top.



Follow the simple instructions to get video calling installed. Once installed, you will be able to call your friends by clicking on the Video Call buttons.
Unfortunately, at this stage, Facebook Video call does not support conference calling. But they are working on it and it will be out in no time

Problems?

Facebook Video Calling is at it’s initial stage. Many people are experiencing problems at this stage. That is to be expected, considering the age of the project and the vast numbers of users trying to avail this service. Facebook is constantly trying to improve the service, so the problems will be resolved soon (hopefully).
Also, according to Facebook, some users can experience problems due to software/hardware incompatibility. Please make sure that you are using the latest version of your browser, and that your webcam and microphone are properly set up (Read the ‘What Do I need…’ section again if you have skipped that).


If you are experiencing any problems and difficulties, feel free to contact us. We will be obliged to help. Also, share this blog with your friends and stay tuned for updates on Facebook Video Calling.