Facebook, Google offer free videoconferencing

When it comes to free online videoconferencing, Zoom now has competition from the internet’s two biggest players, the new Messenger Rooms from Facebook and the newly free consumer version of Google Meet. Meet isn’t new, but until now it required a paid business account or an education account for schools.

Messenger Rooms is an entirely new product. Although

Facebook, Messenger, Whatsapp and Instagram already had video services, Rooms is the first service from Facebook to allow for large group meetings similar to Zoom.

Both Messenger and the free version of Meet are rolling out, which means they may or may not be available when you first try to use them.

Meet requires that everyone

on the call have a Google account. That does add a level of security, but it also adds a level of complexity. Google accounts are free and not all that hard to sign up for, but I can envision some people being reluctant to set up a Google account and others who might be tech savvy enough to click on a link to join a call but not comfortable setting up their own new account.

You need a Facebook account to initiate a Messenger Rooms account, but anyone can join from a web link that’s generated for the call.

Facebook will allow up to 50 people on the call with no time limit. Google Meet will accommodate up to 100 people with a 60-minute time limit, but Google said it won’t enforce the time limit until the end of September. Meet will continue to be free after September. Zoom offers a free version with up to 100 participants, but there is a 40-minute time limit. For $14.99 a month, Zoom users can upgrade to a “Pro” account with no time limit.

Security and privacy

Google says that Meet is highly secure. Like other videoconferencing services, there are host controls such as the ability to admit or deny entry to a meeting, and mute or remove participants. But Google will not allow anonymous users; all must have Google accounts. It also has meeting codes that are “complex by default and therefore resilient to brute-force ‘guessing,’ ” according to a Google news release. Also, Google doesn’t require plug-ins to use Meet on the web. It works in a browser. That’s mostly a good thing but there is the danger of your meeting being lost in a sea of tabs or someone accidentally dropping out of a meeting if you accidentally close the browser or a tab, which is easy to do.

Facebook will make it easy to start and promote an event. Facebook users can start and share “Rooms” on Facebook through News Feed, Groups and Events and the company plans to soon enable the ability to create and share Rooms from Instagram Direct, Whatsapp and its Portal dedicated video chatting device.

Facebook Rooms has its own privacy and security tools including the ability to lock a room so no one else can join unless the room is unlocked. The person who creates the room can remove participants and, of course, anyone can leave a room if they feel uncomfortable. You can also block someone from interacting with you in any manner on Facebook or Messenger, including being in the same “room,” and you can report any abuse.

Facebook discloses that it does “collect data from Rooms regardless of whether you joined through one of our apps or without logging into an account.” Chief Privacy Policy Officer Erin Egan adds that “the main purpose of this data is to provide the service and improve the product experience.” She said that audio and video from Rooms won’t be used to inform ads and that ads are not displayed in Rooms.

Tips for videoconferencing

Regardless of what service you use, there are some general tips that can make your conference more pleasant for you and others. One is adequate lighting. I’ve been on many conferences where I could barely see some of the people. One common mistake is to be sitting in front of a window. You want the light in front or above you — not behind you where it will wash out the image. My home office is pretty well lit, but to improve the way I look, I added a couple of desk lamps to shine more light on me.

Sound is very important. Many of today’s webcams, including the ones built into laptops and phones, have good microphones so you may be fine with what you have. But if not, consider a headset or even a set of earbuds with a microphone. I see a lot of people wearing Apple Airpods, which actually sound pretty good.

Make sure you have a good internet connection. Wired is usually faster than Wi-fi, but Wi-fi should be adequate as long as you’re not too far from the access point. If you have a large house and want to use your device far from the access point, consider a range extender or a mesh router that gives you more access points around the house. I have an extender in a room at the back of my house to extend Wi-fi into the backyard.

You can join a call from a computer or a smartphone. Sometimes a smartphone can be better, especially if it has a strong cellular connection and is a modern phone with a good camera and sound system. But often Wi-fi is better, so experiment to see what works best by setting up calls with friends and getting their feedback.

Familiarize yourself with the service’s privacy and security tools and know their time limits, if any. My wife’s book club came to an abrupt end when the host’s free Zoom account timed out at 40 minutes.

Finally, take breaks. A lot of people are suffering from “Zoom fatigue,” because they’re spending too much time on video calls. I recommend a daily dose of fresh air and sunshine, as long as you maintain physical distance from people you don’t live with.