Facebook Messenger is launching free VOIP video calling over cellular and wi-fi connections on iOS and Android in the US, Canada, UK, and 15 other countries.
The move will let anyone with an internet connection and the app talk to each other through their phone.
Conversations can be started by clicking the video icon in the top-right hand corner of the screen. They must be started from an existing Messenger conversation.
Facebook said that it integrated the two tools because “It’s not polite to call someone out of the blue anymore”.
“Best to text them first. That’s why Facebook thinks video calling will live naturally inside Messenger.”
The new video calling features work across operating systems, so that iOS and Android users can chat with each other.
It has been rolled out to users in the UK as well as most of Europe and the US. Facebook said that the feature will be rolled out to other regions “over the coming months”.