Facebook Messenger allows users to participate in group video calls with up to 50 people at once. The number of participants allowed in a Messenger video call depends on the device and version of the app being used. On mobile devices and the desktop app, Messenger supports up to 8 participants simultaneously in a video call. However, in Messenger Rooms, up to 50 participants can join a video call.
Video Call Capacity on Mobile and Desktop
On the iOS and Android Messenger apps, as well as the desktop website, group video calls are limited to 8 participants at a time. This includes both mobile devices and computers. If you try to add more than 8 people to a video call on these platforms, you’ll get an error message stating “The maximum number of participants is 8.”
So if you want to video chat with a group of friends or family on your phone, tablet, or computer, no more than 8 people can join the call simultaneously. This limit has been in place for the mobile and desktop versions of Messenger for several years and has not increased.
Why is capacity limited to 8 on mobile/desktop?
There are a few technical reasons why Messenger maintains an 8 person limit for video calls on mobile and desktop:
- Bandwidth – More participants requires greater bandwidth, which can be limited on mobile devices and some computers.
- Processing power – Video calling is resource intensive. Mobile devices and some computers may not be able to handle more than 8 video feeds at once.
- Display size – On smaller screens, fitting all the video windows from more than 8 people would be difficult.
- Messenger’s coding – The mobile and desktop apps are coded to only support up to 8 participants on a video call.
So in essence, the 8 person limit allows for a smoother, higher quality video chat experience given the hardware and software limitations. Going beyond 8 participants would likely result in lag, delays, and pixelated video.
Video Call Capacity in Messenger Rooms
While standard Messenger video calls are limited to 8 people, Messenger Rooms provides an expanded capacity of up to 50 participants.
Messenger Rooms are group video chat rooms that live within the Messenger app. When using Messenger Rooms, you can create video call links that allow up to 50 people to join the virtual room.
To start a Messenger Room, just tap the Video icon within a Messenger group chat or thread. Then select the option to “Create a room” and send the link to whoever you want to invite. Up to 50 people can join by clicking on the link on a mobile device or computer.
Advantages of Messenger Rooms
Here are some of the advantages Messenger Rooms provides compared to a standard Messenger video call:
- Higher capacity – Up to 50 participants can join the video chat room.
- Easy to join – Participants simply click on a shared link to join.
- Cross-platform – Works on smartphones, tablets, and computers.
- Visual presentation – Rooms provide a visual layout with highlighted speaker.
- Chat functionality – Built-in chat for easy conversations.
Thanks to Messenger Rooms, conducting large group video calls is simple and hassle-free on both mobile and desktop. The 50 person capacity makes Rooms ideal for large families, big groups of friends, company meetings, classes, and more.
Impact of Device and Number of Participants on Video Quality
While Messenger Rooms enables up to 50 participants per video call, the quality and experience of the video call can vary depending on:
- The device being used – Video call quality may downgrade on lower-end smartphones or computers
- Number of active participants – More video streams can impact bandwidth and video fluidity
- Internet connection – Weak connections will lower video quality
In general, here’s how video call quality may be impacted based on devices and number of participants:
On high-end smartphones and computers:
- 2-4 participants – Excellent HD quality expected
- 5-10 participants – Great quality still achievable
- 10-25 participants – Good quality, may be some minor issues
- 25-50 participants – Quality dropping, lagging more likely
On lower-end smartphones and computers:
- 2-4 participants – Usable video quality
- 5-10 participants – Quality decreases, lagging possible
- 10+ participants – Significant quality reduction and lagging
So while 50 people can join a Messenger Room, the best group video calling experience will occur with between 2-10 participants on modern devices and internet connections. Larger groups are still very usable, but quality tradeoffs can occur.
Comparison of Video Call Capacity Across Platforms
To summarize the key video conferencing capacities across different platforms:
| Platform | Max Participants |
|---|---|
| Messenger (mobile/desktop) | 8 |
| Messenger Rooms | 50 |
| FaceTime | 32 |
| 8 | |
| Zoom (free) | 100 |
As shown in the table, Messenger Rooms has one of the higher group video calling capacities available today. Platforms like FaceTime and WhatsApp have the same 8 person limit as the mobile Messenger app. Zoom allows up to 100 participants, but requires a paid account.
Best Practices for Large Messenger Rooms Calls
When conducting a Messenger Rooms video call near the upper limit of 50 participants, here are some tips to ensure the best experience:
- Use a stable, high-speed internet connection to maintain video quality.
- Limit the number of active speakers to 3-5 people at a time.
- Mute microphone when not speaking to minimize background noise.
- Turn off video if not necessary to reduce bandwidth usage.
- Close other apps/programs that use internet.
- Test calling capacity beforehand with a smaller group.
- Use high-end smartphones and computers when possible.
Following these best practices will help maximize the quality and reliability of large Messenger Rooms calls with up to 50 people.
Conclusion
In summary, the maximum number of participants in a Messenger video call depends on whether you are using Messenger’s standard mobile/desktop video calling feature or the expanded Messenger Rooms capability.
On mobile devices and desktop, Messenger video calls support up to 8 people at once. But with Messenger Rooms, you can conduct virtual video rooms with up to 50 participants by simply sharing a call link.
While 50 people can join a Messenger Room, limiting the group size to 10 or less will provide the best video call experience in most cases. Following best practices like using strong internet, muting mics, and testing beforehand will also optimize large Messenger Rooms calls.
So if you need to video chat with a big group, take advantage of Messenger Room’s 50 person capacity. But keep in mind the potential impact on video quality when going above 10-15 participants on average devices.