How To Video Chat on Facebook
Now more than ever we are being urged to keep connected. A great way to do this is with a video call to family and friends. Here are the step by step instructions on how to do this on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, visit www.seniorsdigest.com.au for a previous article on ‘How To Facebook’.
Tips for a successful video chat:
Select whether you want to use a computer or mobile phone - A computer screen is larger which makes for easy viewing but a mobile phone gives you more flexibility on where to conduct your chat.
Find somewhere comfortable to sit that is well lit – Having good lighting is important so that those you are chatting with can clearly see you.
Make sure you are happy with the angle of the camera – While the larger image when you video chat is of the person you are speaking to, there is a smaller image of yourself that appears in the top right hand corner which can be distracting if the camera angle makes you look odd.
Three steps to video chat on Facebook:
Click at the top right of the screen.
Select New Message or click on the person you would like to chat with.
Click in the top right corner of the chat window.
The program will call the person you have selected and they will either accept or reject the call. If they are unavailable they may not take the call at all. It is a good idea to set up a time for the video chat to make sure the other person is ready for your call. You can do this by texting or calling the person by phone first to confirm they are ready.
If you want to add more people to the call there is an ‘add person’ icon that looks like this at the bottom of the screen when you start the chat with the first person. Click on this to add the next person and so on. Messenger allows you to video chat with up to 8 people at once. NOTE: The more people that are in the chat, the more confusing it may become on who is talking. To avoid confusion and sound issues, it’s better to limit to one or two people at a time.
It really is that simple. If you experience camera or sound problems you can visit http://www.facebook.com/videocalling or ask a friend or family member for help.
Happy chatting!!