Facebook Messenger Now Lets You Have a Telephone Party With Up to 50 Friends
New feature lets you turn a group chat into a phone conversation.
— -- Facebook is rolling out a new group calling feature in Messenger today, allowing users to turn any group chat into a phone conversation with as many as 50 participants.
Users with the latest versions of Messenger for iOS and Android should see a phone icon in their group chats, allowing them to initiate a call.
If someone misses the initial call, they can join the group conversation at any time by tapping the phone icon. It's also possible to see who's on a call at any time and send another alert to anyone who hasn't joined the conversation.
It's been a big month for Messenger, which has a growing 900 million user base. At Facebook's annual F8 developer's conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Messenger Platform, a framework powered by artificial intelligence, allowing developers to build chat bots that can communicate one-on-one with users in a conversational tone.
The first chat bots have already settled into Facebook and include the ability to do everything from send a 1-800-Flowers bouquet to find the perfect dress through Shop Spring.