As we reported a week ago, Facebook launched Messenger Rooms globally amid the video calling app boom, which first started after the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to remain in their homes and rely on the internet, in order to continue their education and work.One of Facebook’s apps, Instagram, now too supports Messenger Rooms with up to 50 people, as the social media announced on Twitter yesterday.
To start a video chat with your friends on Instagram, simply open your messages, tap the video chat icon (shown in the video above), then select the new “Create a Room” option. From there you can choose which friends to send invitations to, then copy your Room’s link and share it with even more people, or join your new Room and get the party started.

Despite the entire set-up happening from the Instagram app, entering the video chat redirects to Facebook’s Messenger app, which is required.

Earlier this week, Instagram also introduced Guides, another new feature that allows for select accounts to publish guides, which are similar to conventional articles. The first Guides available on the platform were created with a focus on helping users with their well-being. For example, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention now has in its Instagram account two Guides on mental health, one being “Mental Health & COVID-19,” which contains valuable self-care strategies.

Prior to that, back in mid-April, Instagram focused on supporting small businesses using it during the pandemic, by making their accounts easier to discover and giving them fundraising tools, along with stickers for boosting their interaction with clients.