How to Video Chat on Facebook

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: June 3, 2021

Ready to take your Facebook chatting experience to the next level? This wikiHow will teach you how to video chat on Facebook. You can video chat with your friends on Facebook for free using either the Facebook website or the Messenger app. Video chatting doesn't require any additional software, but only some browsers are supported if you're chatting from your computer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Facebook Website

1
Connect a webcam to your computer. If your computer doesn't have a webcam connected, you'll need to install one before you can video chat.
2
Open the Chat menu on the Facebook website. Click the Chat menu in the lower-right corner to open the Chat menu if it isn't open already.
- You'll need to use Chrome, Opera, or Edge, but group calling is not supported in Firefox or Edge.^{[1]
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3
Select the person you want to video chat with. You can select people you commonly chat within the list, or you can search through all of your friends by typing the name into the field at the bottom of the list.^{[2]
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4
Click the video chat button. The button looks like a silhouette of a video camera. A new window will appear for the video chat.
- If you are not able to click the video chat button, the recipient is not able to receive video calls.
5
Allow Facebook to access your webcam. The process for this will vary depending on the browser you are using. Generally, you'll need to click "Allow" or "Share" to allow Facebook to access your webcam.
6
Wait for the other person to pick up. The recipient will be notified either through the Facebook website or in their Messenger app, depending on their online status. If they choose to answer, your video chat will begin.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Messenger on your Phone or Tablet

1
Open Messenger. This app icon looks like a speech bubble with a lightning bolt inside it that you'll find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- You can video chat with your friends using the Messenger app on iOS and Android.
2
Open a conversation with the person you want to video chat with. Tap the conversation you want to start the video chat with. You can video chat with a group or individual.^{[3]
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3
Tap
at the top of the conversation. This video camera icon will begin calling the other person.
- If the button is grayed out or not there, the other person is not able to receive video calls at this time.
4
Wait for the other person to pick up. The recipient will be notified that they are receiving a video call. They'll be able to answer using their Messenger app or the Facebook website and a webcam.
5
Press the camera swap button to switch between the front and rear cameras. Tap this button during the video chat to switch what camera Messenger displays.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Why is the video low-quality?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Check your internet speed. If you have less than 10mpbs download and 2 mpbs, you might have connectivity issues while you're video-chatting.
Question

Can you type instead of talk?

Community Answer

Yes. When you select the person that you want to call, it will bring up a chat.
Question

Why is there a delayed reaction when talking on video chat?

Community Answer

Sending text and video takes up a lot of Internet bandwidth, and depending on the speed of the connection of you and the other person's ISP, delays can be expected.