Bloomberg reports that Facebook is currently testing voice and video calling to its main Facebook app. These features are part of the standalone Messenger App, which Facebook first spun out from its main app in 2011, and was officially removed in 2014.
Facebook introduced voice and video calling in several Messenger products, including Portal video cameras and Oculus virtual-reality headsets. Although the company has not yet revealed if they plan to bring back other Messenger features, Messengers director for product management told Bloomberg that you will see more of it over time.
Facebook Messenger features may make it more difficult to untangle the knots of Facebook
Facebook confirmed to The Verge that voice and video calls are being tested in many countries, including the US. The company also did not reveal how many users would see these features, or what the implications of this for the standalone Messenger app. People should still use Messenger for full-featured messaging and audio calling.
It makes no sense to add voice and video calls on the Facebook app. It means that you have one less app to switch between when you're using your phone or computer for other purposes, but it also means that you will need to interact with Facebook (or at least see it), which I doubt everyone is interested.
It is possible that Messenger could be merged into Facebook, drawing the same criticisms as unifying Messenger with Instagram direct messages. It makes it seem like a huge company like Facebook is harder to split up, which may be true.
This isn't the first time that Facebook has suggested Messenger could be brought back to Facebook. The company tried to bring text chats back to the main app in 2019 with a dedicated Inbox and splashed from Facebook across Oculus and Instagram.
