Video Calling On Facebook

Just click the call button at the top of your friend's profile or chat window — no need to launch new software. No answer? Leave a video message.

Sometimes an emoticon just isn't enough. With face-to-face video calling, now you can watch your friends smile, wink and LOL.

Video Calling  video chat product, powered by Skype.

Getting started

Video calling allows you to talk to your friends face to face. All you need to do is complete a quick, one-time setup, and you’re ready to call any friend on Facebook. If your friend isn’t available, you can always leave a video message.

How it works: If you and your friend both have webcams and microphones set up, you will be able to see and hear each other in real time. If you call friends who don’t have webcams, they’ll be able to see and hear you but you’ll only be able to hear them.

Call records: The time and date of each call you make is listed in your ongoing message history with each friend. The calls themselves are not recorded or saved.

Multi-tasking: You can continue using chat and other Facebook features during your video call.

How to set up video calling

Before you can call your friends, you need to complete a quick, one-time setup:
You will be asked to complete the setup the first time you try to call a friend, or the first time a friend tries to call you. To call a friend, click the video icon at the top of your chat window.
Simply click the “Set Up” button and follow the instructions for how to set up video calling on your browser.
Once you’ve successfully completed the setup, the call you’ve started with your friend should connect automatically. If it doesn’t, you can call again by clicking the video icon at the top of your chat window.

Video calling works best with the latest versions of the following browsers:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Internet Explorer
• Safari

Note that video calling for Linux is not currently supported. You will need to use one of these browsers in a Mac or Windows operating system. If you’re having trouble with video calling, try upgrading or switching your browser using the links above.

You can see if a friend is available by entering their name at the bottom of the chat list on the right side of the page. Friends that appear online in chat are also available for video calls. A green dot next to a friend’s name means they’re online and a moon icon means they're online but inactive.

To end a video call, just close the video window.

You can still use video calling even if you don’t have a webcam. You will be able to see and hear your friends, but they will only be able to hear you.