Here’s How To Setup A Group Call On Facebook’s Messenger Rooms Zoom Competitor

Video calls have become all the rage over the last few months and Zoom remains one of the most popular choices for group video chat. However, recent security issues have caused many to look for alternatives. Facebook recently launched “Messenger Rooms”, a video chat service for up to 50 users and it just became widely available to users. Here is how you can set-up a group call on Messenger Rooms.

How To Create A Facebook Messenger Room

If you are the host of a video chat, you will need a Facebook account. If you are creating the “room” through a mobile app, you will want to double-check that you have the most recent version of the Facebook and Messenger mobile app. You will then need to open Messenger and click on the “People” tab. You can then tap on “Create a Room”, an option which should appear on the top of the list. If you are an iPhone user, you will need to then click “Try It”. Both iPhone and Android users will then be given the option to share a link to the video chat.

Desktop users will first need to click on the video camera icon to create a new room. The video icon will appear under the contacts tab. You will then need to tap on “copy” to share the link to your room with your desired guests.

The host has quite a bit of control over the Messenger Room. You can choose to share a link to the room through various messaging services outside of Facebook or limit the room to Facebook users. You can also share your room through your News Feed, Groups and Events. You can even rename a room if you so choose.


The host also has the power to remove users, lock the room, and “end” the room. To remove a user, click on “Participants”. Then click “remove” next to the person you would like to remove from your room. These directions apply to both mobile and desktop users.

Mobile users will need to tap the lock icon in the right hand corner to prevent anyone else from entering the room. You can press the icon again to unlock the room. Desktop users should click on the people icon to view all participants. Desktop users will then need to click “Lock Room” to both lock and unlock the room. If you choose to unlock a room, a removed person could potentially rejoin it.

Mobile users should click on the “X” icon if they would like to end the room. They should then tap “End Room”. Desktop users will need to once again click on “See Call Participants.” They can then click on the “X” icon to end the call.

The directions for participants are even easier. Participants will need to click on the link provided by the host to enter the room. Participants can leave the room at any time by simply pressing the “X” icon. Participants can join from their mobile device or desktop and do not need a Facebook account to join a room.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind should you choose to use Messenger Rooms. First, you cannot invite someone you have blocked to your room and you cannot join the room of someone you have blocked if they are using their Facebook or Messenger account. Second, you can report a room name if they think it violates Facebook’s community guidelines. Last but not least, if you join a room while logged into Facebook or Messenger, other room participants will be able to see your Facebook name, profile picture, and that you have joined the room. You can check out our article here for more information about the privacy and security policies for Facebook Messenger Rooms.