Facebook today introduces one-tap video calls within Messenger. This comes hot on the heels of Messenger money transfer, Messenger for Business, and Messenger platform announcements. It’s rather easy to see that Facebook views instant messaging as an important social networking tool. They’ve circled the wagons to be sure that competitors won’t be able to pick off appreciable numbers of users.
Messenger has already offered the ability to make voice calls between mobile users, and video calls between desktop users. Today’s announcement expands video calling to the mobile platform. For the time being video calls are restricted to mobile to mobile with no indication of when desktop to mobile video calling would be supported.
Video calling in Messenger is launching today for people on iOS and Android in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US, and Uruguay. It’ll be rolling out to other regions and locales over the coming months.