Learn how to do anything: How to Video Chat on Facebook

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

How to Video Chat on Facebook

Ready to take your Facebook chatting experience to the next level? You can video chat with your friends on Facebook for free using either the Facebook website or the Messenger app. Video chatting doesn't require any additional software, but only some browsers are supported if you're chatting from your computer.

EditSteps

EditUsing Messenger on your Mobile Device

Open a conversation with the person you want to video chat with. Make sure to open a conversation with a single person. You cannot currently start a video chat with a group.
Tap the video chat button at the top of the conversation. This will begin calling the other person.
- If the button is grayed out or not there, the other person is not able to receive video calls at this time.
Wait for the other person to pick up. The recipient will be notified that they are receiving a video call. They'll be able to answer using Messenger or the Facebook website and a webcam.
Press the camera swap button to switch between the front and rear cameras. Tap this button during the video chat to switch what camera Messenger displays.

EditUsing the Facebook Website

Connect a webcam to your computer (if necessary). If your computer doesn't have a webcam connected, you'll need to install one before you can video chat.
Open the Chat menu on the Facebook website. Click the Chat menu in the lower-right corner to open the Chat menu if it isn't open already.
- You'll need to use Chrome, Firefox, or Opera. Video calling is not supported in Internet Explorer, Safari, or Edge.^[1]
Select the person you want to video chat with. You can select people you commonly chat with in the list, or you can search through all of your friends by typing the name into the field at the bottom of the list.
- Facebook currently only supports chats with a single person at a time. Group video chats may be added in the future.
Click the video chat button. The button looks like a silhouette of video camera. A new window will appear for the video chat.
- If you are not able to click the video chat button, the recipient is not able to receive video calls.
Allow Facebook to access your webcam. The process for this will vary depending on the browser you are using. Generally you'll need to click "Allow" or "Share" to allow Facebook to access your webcam.
Wait for the other person to pick up. The recipient will be notified either through the Facebook website or in their Messenger app, depending on their online status. If they choose to answer, your video chat will begin.