Facebook has launched a new “instant video” feature through its Messenger app that lets users send each other live videos, plus photos, gifs and written messages while texting in the app.
Unlike video calls, the feature is designed for users who want to send a moment captured on camera but still carry on texting rather than using voice.
“It’s perfect for sharing quick moments with friends who aren’t right by your side or making your conversations richer by seeing each other face-to-face when you are messaging,” Facebook said in its blog post describing the feature.
The new feature works for both Apple iOS devices and Android.
To send instant video, the sender and the recipient have to have the Messenger app open.
Just tap the video icon to get started sharing. When your friend sees the video they can reply with video, or text.
The feature also matches one offered in rival Snapchat, the vanishing message service that became a hit with teenagers and lets members share pictures and video clips.
Facebook also released a graphic demonstrating how the feature works:
In July, Facebook said the number of users of its Messenger application had topped one billion.
Facebook itself has more than 1.6 billion users, and WhatsApp, another messaging application acquired by Facebook for some $20 billion in 2014, also counts more than a billion users.