Facebook enables group call feature for messenger platform

Mumbai: In a bid to compete with Google Hangouts and Skype for video calls, Social networking giant Facebook has announced a group-calling feature for its Messenger app, which let the users' connect up to 50 friends simultaneously.

According to Facebook Messenger chief David Marcus, the feature would show up as a phone icon in group chats, the Verge reports. The feature would be available on iOS and Android soon.

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service and software application which provides text and voice communication.

Integrated with Facebook's web-based Chat feature and built on the open MQTT protocol, Messenger lets Facebook users chat with friends both on mobile and on the main website.

According to the company, Facebook Messenger reached 800 million monthly active users in January 2016.