Facebook Messenger has launched Group Video Chat on desktop for both the Android and iOS platforms, allowing up to 50 people to join a video chat at once.

The new split-screen group video chat feature allows a maximum of six users to appear in split-screen at one time. Users can don Snapchat-style selfie masks, while others can listen and talk over voice while sending text, stickers, emojis, and GIFs. The feature can be activated by simply clicking on the video icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

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Facebook said its Group Video chat feature is "perfect for those spontaneous moments where text just isn't enough." It is being rolled out worldwide on iOS, Android, and the web. However, the Android platform will have to wait a bit for the MSQRD-powered selfie masks, which might not even come to desktop. The feature is free on WiFi, but standard data charges will apply on cellular connections.

Facebook Messenger released one-on-one video calling feature in April 2015 and group audio calling a year later. The platform already boasts of 245 million users making video calls every month.

Similar apps including FaceTime/iMessage, Google Duo, Snapchat, and WhatsApp do not support group video calling. Google's Hangouts app launched many of these features back in 2013, but it has not become a core platform for text messaging.

Another popular app among the US teenagers is Houseparty, a new app from the makers of Meerkat. Houseparty climbed to 1.2 million daily users pretty quickly with its laid-back "livechill" group alternative. It was featured among the top five iOS apps and raised $50 million led by Sequoia.

However, Facebook Messenger group video chat works a bit differently though with a similar design. While on Houseparty, a user can join an ever-present video chat room after being notified, one has to deliberately select friends or a group text thread to invite to a video call in Messenger. Also, up to four Messenger users can share big slices of the screen while Houseparty can accommodate eight. Between four and six callers, the Messenger screen switches to a gallery format, with the one speaking coming to the top of the screen and everyone else lining up at the bottom in little thumbnails.