Facebook Messenger Now Supports Voice Calling for U.S. Accounts

[KdParker]

Guess this a good if you live your life on facebook.

[alexandr]

i don't know... i'm a big fan of separating apps by functions.. skype or facetime for video, viber for voice calling.. facebook for facebooking...

[Dr McKay]

Originally Posted by Chlloret

If you want to voice call someone on Android or WP, this app would not help you, as it is iOS exclusive, just like facetime, that was the question.
And no, there are NEVER 850 Million USERS online. Even Facebook mentions "accounts" never users. Big difference. Everyone and his dog got a facebook account, every TV caracter (not the actor), every company, every product of every company and so on. Heck, the few people I know that have real facebook accounts, also run a dozen fake ones. Even if its just to "like" each other, change sex, or simply for the hell of it.

Actual USERS are far and few in between and usually in the 12-28 age range. Usage declines drastically with age. Also, once you get to the point, that you work and have a life, you simply dial the number and call the person you want to talk to. Something in the age of flatrates, that becomes the easiest solution. With other words, you phone someone with your cell phone. No apps to install, no worry, is the person online, is the app running, is it blocked by my data plan ect. Just dial the number and talk. Easy.

No the actual quote from Facebook was "850 Million active users" The Facebook messenger app is not exclusive to iOS, only this feature is (for the time being). And as much as I'd like to just "pick up the phone and dial" one of my friends on the other side of the world, I don't want to spend a ludicrous amount of cash doing so. Anyway I wasn't comparing calling someone on Facebook to just calling someone, I was pointing out to the guy who asked why not simply use Facetime that this will be more accessible.

[RMo]

Originally Posted by QuarterSwede

I get the marketing of it but it's so easy to just send audio over it most people don't realize the option exists. Tap the home button while FaceTime is active

That just pauses the video, unless they've changed something recently. I think lots of people realize the option exists--anyone who wants to use another app to look up something during a video call, for example, has probably discovered this "feature." But you can't keep the video going if you even if you want to (which I think you can do with Skype--which, by the way, actually supports audio-only calling, quality aside, and works on far more platforms), so I'm not sure I'd call it an "option." Further, if you want a true audio-only call, you'll have to convince the other party to do the same.

Still, I guess it's a usable but clunky solution if, for some reason, you're looking to use FaceTime for nearly audio-only.

[2crazy]

Originally Posted by 4kk2kk

cares about facebook, let alone voice calls within facebook.

It's nice to see that I am not the only one who thinks Facebook is a waste of time. Fortunately, I don't know many people using Facebook may it be friends or business partners. Sometimes I am thinking it's just kids using it :-) But of course I am wrong. There are many adults living and breathing Facebook, which I consider a bit scary actually. Anyways, I am a heavy user of Facetime and Skype and Facebook is pretty much out of the question for me.

[fredf]

several thoughts:

....I signed up for Facebook about a year ago. When I was inundated with emails about complete strangers wanting to contact me I left.
Interesting of them to add this service for those who use Facebook (and have the time to be overwhelmed with Facebook's attempt to run your life).

for others..
...what about apps like Talkatone? I use that all the time with cellular or wifi to avoid using my minutes.

What is better about using Facebook (and becoming part of their global marketing strategy) as opposed to apps like Talkatone? Am I missing something here?

[Cod3rror]

This is great, I don't use Facebook but more options and functionality is always better.

Originally Posted by theBB

Skype's user base is quite substantial. Unfortunately, call notifications were not reliable unless Skype was already one of the semi-active apps during the few times I tried over time. I eventually gave up, so I don't know if it has improved since summer.

Nope, there is still no notification for Skype calls. Basically, you have to regular-call the other person, tell them to turn on Skype, you have to turn on Skype as well and then calls come in.

Also, if they are offline and you send them a message and then go offline, it won't get delivered to them until you both are online, which is useless.

[theBB]

Originally Posted by Cod3rror

Nope, there is still no notification for Skype calls. Basically, you have to regular-call the other person, tell them to turn on Skype, you have to turn on Skype as well and then calls come in.

Also, if they are offline and you send them a message and then go offline, it won't get delivered to them until you both are online, which is useless.

Interesting. I wonder if they are doing this to make it a really peer to peer network. If there is no peer on the other side active, no delivery can take place. If the destination is online, but the app that wanted to deliver the message is inactive, again no transmission.

I think SMS is the same way, the system tries a couple of times and if the destination is offline, it gives up. In grand scheme of things, a few servers to store some messages does not sound like a big investment though...

[Phantom upVoter]

Originally Posted by Kissaragi

Better than my landmine at home in fact.

Ka boom

[Kevenly]

Just what the internet needs. More centralization for Facebook. If people keep putting themselves under the umbrella of Facebook's centralization of the internet it may be the only part of the internet that many people use. I guess for people that don't care about selling their lives out to a corporation which thinks of its clients as resources who are "dumb****s" then it's a dream come true.

[Sony311]

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Slim02

Why do people keep saying FaceTime? Because if you READ IT RIGHT, IT SAYS VOICE CALL NOT VIDEO CALL.

[rsocal]

Originally Posted by MacAddict1978

Nah. Even the Facebook app is not all that exciting. How many people still have minute based calling plans? VERY FEW. Or how many people don't have free mobile to mobile calling? (ATT and Sprint let you call any mobile, any carrier).

There's a reason why Skype never became a mega hit (and sort of the bastard step child now adopted by MS). Not many people have a use for it.

People making international calls might benefit from this. Maybe. Then the call quality... Facebook can't even load the feed half the time, and they're going to maintain phone calls?

I do love the pitch in the article, "or when you're not at home in the office, it can use your mobile data connection." Why would you?

There are peolpe who would benefit from this, but it's going to be a largely ignored feature.

This is why Apple would never do this for voice like they did for iMessage. It's not really needed.

I definetly agree you on this, I don't get why people get so excited, most Cell Phone plans have free long distance & mobile to mobile. My home has Verizon Fios and my voice plan has free long distance.
Everybody I know has the same type plans with their Cell Phone.

[Rjkumar]

Better to use social networks for communication instead of SIM connection..