When you see the message “create room” on Facebook, it means that you have the option to start a new Messenger group chat or video call with your Facebook friends. This feature allows you to easily set up virtual hangouts and group conversations on the platform.
Facebook introduced the “create room” option in 2020 as more people were using the platform to connect virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides a quick way to video chat or message multiple people at once without having to create a Facebook Group or Event.
Some key things to know about the “create room” feature on Facebook:
It lets you start a group video call or group chat
– If you select “create room” from the Messenger toolbar or your News Feed, you can choose to start either a group video call or a group text chat with friends.
– This provides an easy way to connect with multiple people at once for a virtual hangout or conversation.
You can invite friends to join
– When you create a room, you can select which friends from your Facebook Friends list you want to invite to join you.
– Friends will get a notification that they’ve been invited to join your room. They can tap to join the video call or group chat.
Rooms close when everyone leaves
– Facebook rooms are temporary hangouts. The room remains open as long as anyone is still in the call or chat.
– Once the last person exits, the room is closed and disappears. This keeps your communications ephemeral.
There are privacy controls
– You have options for managing the privacy settings when creating a room. For example, you can limit it to certain friends, friends of friends, or make it public so anyone can join.
– You also have the ability to lock rooms once all the invited friends have joined so no one else can enter. This helps prevent unwanted drop-ins.
When and Why to Use the Create Room Feature
The “create room” feature provides a quick way to bring friends together for different virtual interactions on Facebook. Here are some examples of when it can be useful:
Group video hangouts
– Plan an impromptu group video chat for a virtual hangout. This could be used for holiday meetups with faraway relatives, game nights with friends, or casual catch-up sessions with classmates and colleagues.
Team meetings and collaboration
– If you’re working on a project or initiative with a team, you can use a Facebook room for quick video check-ins, brainstorming sessions, and virtual meetings.
Clubs, groups, and communities
– If you belong to any kind of club, group, or community, creating a Facebook room provides a way to connect with other members in real time over video chat or messaging. For example, book club members could meet up virtually in a room for their discussion.
Family communication
– Families can use Facebook rooms to easily keep in touch through group video calls and chats. For instance, plan a weekly family video night for grandparents, parents, kids and grandkids to check in.
Event livestreams
– If you’re hosting any kind of virtual event, like a workshop, class, or lecture, you can livestream it using the room feature and invite your audience to tune in.
Gaming with friends
– Gamers can get together in a Facebook room for competitions, gaming marathons, or casual play. The video chat functionality makes it more interactive.
How to Create a Facebook Room
Creating a room on Facebook only takes a few steps. Here is a quick overview of the process:
On Mobile
1. Open the Facebook app and tap on the Messenger icon at the top.
2. At the top of the Messenger screen, tap on “Create Room.”
3. Choose whether you want to create a room for calling or messaging.
4. Give your room a name and add descriptions (optional).
5. Select the friends you want to invite from your friends list.
6. Tap “Create Room” and your friends will be notified to join.
On Desktop
1. Go to www.facebook.com and log into your account.
2. Click on the Messenger icon in the upper right.
3. Click “Create Room” at the top.
4. Select if you want a room for calling or chatting.
5. Name your room, add a description (optional).
6. Use the friend selector to choose who to invite.
7. Click “Create Room” and invitees will get a notification.
Once you’ve created the room, invited friends just need to click “Join Room” from the notification they receive to enter the video call or group chat.
Room Privacy and Security Settings
When starting a new Facebook room, you have options to manage the privacy settings:
Selecting room members
– You control exactly who gets invited from your Facebook friends list. Only people you choose will see and be able to join the room.
Locking rooms
– Once everyone you invited has joined the room, you can “Lock Room” so no additional people can enter, even if they were sent the link.
Removing participants
– If you need to, you can remove anyone from a room while it’s happening. Just hover over their video and click “Remove.”
Closing rooms
– When you’re done with a room, close it out. This ends the call/chat and deletes the room.
– You can also leave rooms yourself and let others continue. The room only closes once everyone has exited.
Access and permissions
– People need Facebook accounts and to be your friend to access rooms you create. Strangers can’t enter unless rooms are left public.
Following these tips allows you to control the privacy of your virtual hangouts. Make sure to select room members carefully and lock down rooms when needed.
Room Size and Time Limits
Facebook currently imposes some limits when creating rooms:
50 people per room
– Up to 50 people can join a single Facebook room for video calls and messaging. If you try inviting more, you’ll get an error.
No minimum users
– You can create rooms with just yourself if you want a space to post comments and share content. There’s no minimum.
4 hour time limit
– Video calls and chat rooms in Facebook have a 4 hour time limit. After that point, the room will automatically close.
– This is to prevent infinitely open rooms from draining resources.
So in summary, Facebook rooms can accommodate up to 50 participants for up to 4 continuous hours. Plan your group hangouts and events accordingly based on these limits!
Using Rooms on Mobile vs Desktop
The Facebook “create room” feature works across mobile and desktop, with a few differences:
Mobile
– Tap the Messenger tab to start rooms on iOS and Android.
– Swipe to switch between active rooms you’ve created or joined.
– Mobile allows rooms for calls and chats.
– Raise hand, mute mic, and camera controls available during calls.
Desktop
– Access rooms by clicking the Messenger icon in the upper right.
– Open the list of your active rooms and select one to enter.
– Desktop currently only supports rooms for messaging, not calls.
– Chat features like stickers, GIFs, and reactions available.
So mobile has a few more options like video calling, mute controls, and swipe navigation between rooms. But the overall experience is very similar across both platforms.
Using Third-Party Apps in Rooms
You’re not limited to just Facebook’s default features when in a room. You can incorporate third-party apps into your virtual hangouts:
Watching videos
– Share your screen to watch YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, or any other video platform with friends.
Playing games
– Apps like Psych!, Heads Up!, and Draw Something provide built-in mobile games you can play over video chat.
Listening to music
– Share music from Spotify or Apple Music so your whole room can listen together simultaneously.
Livestreaming workouts
– If you’re doing online workout classes together, stream your instructor’s platform over your room’s video call.
Ordering food
– Open food delivery apps like DoorDash or GrubHub to take turns ordering meals and eating together over video.
Integrating external apps expands the possibilities for interaction during your virtual hangouts and events. Explore what multimedia options work best for your activities!
Using Rooms for Business Purposes
In addition to casual hangouts with friends, Facebook’s room feature can also be utilized for more professional business purposes:
Team meetings and collaboration
– Conduct daily standups, brainstorming sessions, and presentations over video call in a room. Share your screen to view shared notes.
Client calls and interviews
– Speak with clients, customers, and candidates 1-on-1 in a room over Messenger video chat. Record calls for future reference.
Events and webinars
– Use rooms to livestream conferences, classes, talks, pane discussions and other events to large audiences.
Virtual office hours
– Host open office hours where clients or students can sign up for timeslots to video chat 1-on-1 using rooms.
Trainings and workshops
– Conduct employee trainings remotely by presenting over video call in a room and engaging with Q&A.
eCommerce selling
– Businesses can let shoppers browse products and demo items live over Messenger rooms.
The room feature helps teams collaborate, companies engage customers, and organizations host events all in one place on Facebook.
Pros and Cons of Facebook Rooms
As with any platform feature, Facebook’s Messenger rooms have both advantages and disadvantages to consider:
Pros
– Seamlessly create group video calls with up to 50 people.
– Easy to launch rooms right from Facebook Messenger.
– Ability to screen share videos, music, games and more in rooms.
– Can be used for both social and professional purposes.
– Ephemeral nature of rooms keeps conversations private.
Cons
– Time limit of 4 hours per room.
– Can’t currently create rooms from desktop for calls, only chats.
– Requires friends and contacts to have Facebook accounts to join rooms.
– Privacy controls could be stronger to prevent unwanted access.
– Video quality depends on each individual’s bandwidth.
Understanding these pros and cons will help you determine if Facebook’s room offering is suited for your use case or if alternative platforms may be better. Test rooms out with your own friend groups and communities!
Tips for Hosting Successful Rooms
When creating your own Facebook rooms, follow these tips to help ensure an engaging experience for you and your participants:
Give clear purpose
– Provide a specific agenda so members know what to expect and come prepared. “Brainstorming ideas for Mom’s gift” is better than just “Family hangout.”
Send reminders
– Message or email invitees 1-2 days before to remind them to join the scheduled room. Send calendar invites and follow up day-of with a tagging post.
Use an icebreaker
– Kick off rooms with a fun icebreaker activity like Two Truths and a Lie or Never Have I Ever to get everyone talking.
Assign moderators
– Appoint 1-2 participants to help moderate discussions, troubleshoot tech issues, and monitor chat questions during larger rooms.
Incorporate interactive elements
– Keep people engaged with polls, games, live demos, chat Q&As, screen sharing, whiteboarding apps, and breakout groups.
Set group expectations
– Agree on norms like muting when not speaking, raising hands, listening attentively, and participating actively. Enforce respectfully.
Following best practices for facilitating rooms will lead to more positive experiences for all involved.
Facebook Room Use Cases
To spur ideas for how you can creatively leverage Facebook’s room feature, here are examples of real-world use cases:
Family and friends
– Weekly family video call for grandparents overseas to see grandkids
– Cousins video gaming night battle royale
– College friends virtual movie night with Netflix viewing party
– Book club monthly meeting to discuss latest novel
– New parents tips group for connecting with other parents
Gaming
– Esports team strategy huddles before matches
– Gaming clan video calls to assign tournament roles
– Twitch streamers hosting live Q&As with fans and followers
– Gamers collaboration channel for multiplayer walkthroughs
Education
– University student video study groups before finals
– Tutor small group tutoring sessions for virtual learners
– Teachers parent-teacher conference call hours
– Guest speaker series and expert lectures livestreamed
Business
– Startup weekly all hands and status meetings
– Job candidates first round video interviews
– Company offsite focused on culture building
– Client pitch calls to demo products and services
– HR new hire training and onboarding
Events
– Nonprofit virtual fundraising gala
– Conference keynotes and panel discussions
– Fitness instructor streaming workout classes
– DJ livestreaming a setlist performance
– Comic con cosplay contest streamed to fans
The room possibilities are endless! Evaluate your own needs and brainstorm how to best leverage this tool.
Conclusion
Facebook’s “create room” feature provides a convenient way to bring people together over video call and messaging right within Facebook Messenger. It facilitates both social connections and professional collaborations.
When looking to launch your own room, consider use cases like group hangouts, meetings, events, family calls and more. Take advantage of Messenger’s room privacy controls, interactive features, and ability to integrate third-party apps.
With people continuing to rely on virtual communications, Facebook rooms fill an important role in keeping people connected face-to-face. The next time you want to see your friends, family, colleagues or community come together, simply “create a room” and make it happen.