NEW YORK: Facebook video calling to Messenger app differs from other video services like Skype and FaceTime because it allows users to quickly upgrade conversations to video from texting within the app, said Stan Chudnovsky, Messenger’s head of product.
That’s in keeping with the way most users, especially young users, chat today, he said.
“If I call my son right now, chances are he’s not going to pick up his phone but he’ll text me a second later,” Mr Chudnovsky said. “I tell him what’s up and then he decides whether it’s conversation-worthy or we just text about it – which is very different from my mom, whom I’ll always call.”
Messenger previously offered voice calling through its app. Video is the latest in a string of enhancements to Messenger in recent months, including a standalone desktop site, a payments feature and opening the app to outside developers.
The growth of calling and texting features from tech companies including Facebook and Google has the potential to disrupt traditional telephone carriers, by reducing the volume of calls and revenue through their networks. Google last week began its own wireless service, which relies in part on routing calls through Wi-Fi networks, rather than cellular towers.
Mr Chudnovsky said Facebook doesn’t plan to generate revenue from the new Messenger feature soon, as it learns what users want and how to deliver on it. “If anyone is thinking we’ll make a dime on this year, I would encourage that person to think again,” he said.
For now, the video-calling feature allows Messenger’s 600 million monthly users to converse one-on-one. It could potentially be expanded to allow group chats or to connect users with businesses.
Facebook wanted the feature to work on both high-end and low-end smartphones without sucking up too much data. Users can limit their data use by turning off the video feed of themselves, while still seeing video of their calling partner.
“We wanted it so someone with a high-end connection in San Francisco can talk to someone with low end Android phone in Bangladesh and have a good conversation,” Mr Chudnovsky said.
He said Facebook has no immediate plans to add video calling to WhatsApp, another messaging app owned by Facebook that is far more popular overseas and now boasts 800 million monthly users.
