The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many employees and students to remain at home, shifting the workspace into the digital as many have resorted to teleconferences. Zoom has enjoyed explosive growth, but the popular service has been affected by a large number of security flaws, and it remains a popular target for hackers.
Facebook has decided to enter the fray and developed Messenger Rooms as a user-friendly alternative to Zoom, Google Meet, and many of the other options that are already available. The feature was announced in April, and after a series of changes and bug fixes, it is now available for everyone.
Friendly for all users
The company has addressed the way in which the platform will work via a post on the official blog. Users can start and share rooms via the News Feed, Groups, and Events, which means that it is easy to join a session. Those who create the rooms can customize several settings, among which we can count room visibility, other users who are allowed t join the Room, or the ability to lock it to prevent other people from joining.
The Room will appear at the top of the News Feed, and other users will receive notifications.
Complete control
Facebook underlined the fact that users will have full control over the people who can join a room, and you can invite other Facebook friends or send invitation links via Messenger.
If friends or communities create rooms that are open, they will be highlighted within the Facebook interface, making them easy to spot. It is possible to join the Room from a smartphone or a personal computer, and the connection will be established instantly. There is no need to download other stuff or use custom login data.
Privacy is guaranteed, and Facebook has stated that calls aren’t viewed or recorded by Facebook employees. The person who created the Room has to be present to begin a call, and they can remove other guests at will.
