Facebook's Awesome Announcement: Group Chat, Video Chat, New Chat Design (PICTURES)

Mark Zuckerberg promised "something awesome" for Wednesday's conference. What Facebook delivered is a trio of new chat features, including the earlier reported Skype-video chat integration.

The new features include a redesigned chat interface, group chats, and the aforementioned video chat, all explained on Facebook's blog.

The group chat feature will let users chat with multiple friends at once by selecting "Add Friends to Chat." According to Facebook, 50 percent of users are using the Groups feature, for things like co-ordinating events. Users can add friends that are not online at the time, and those friends will receive a summary of the chat later on. The feature rolls out today.

The chat redesign takes into account the size of a user's browser window and adjusts accordingly. Zuckerberg noted that users have found it difficult to start chats with the previous design. A new sidebar appears when the window is large enough and lists your most-messaged friends, even ones who are not online. A simplified chat tab will give users "one-click access" to chatting with friends. The new chat design will also roll out today.

Video chat, which the company collaborated on with Skype, lets users click a video call button at the top of their chat window in order to start the call. Users can also leave video messages for people who aren't there. Once a user clicks the video chat feature, a plug-in is downloaded to enable the call in "ten to twenty seconds." The feature will roll out to everyone in the next few weeks, though users can get on earlier if they're eager by going to Facebook.com/videocalling. It is not yet available on the mobile app.

"We have a very longstanding relationship with Microsoft," said Zuckerberg, who noted that Facebook had actually been working with Skype prior to Microsoft's acquisition.

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook has hit 750 million worldwide users, with 4 billion pieces of information shared each day.

Check out the slideshow (below) to get a feel for the new features.

• • • •

Comments

[Bambieeee]

11:39 PM on 07/25/2011

Honestly, the new Chat / Sidebar is terrible. I think FB was great when it first came out. Since I've switched to Google+, I feel assured that at least there is a better social network coming. I'm slowly migrating toward Google+ and as soon as all my friends are on it, I'm closing my FB account. There's no need to tolerate a failed product when there's something better in the works.

[Patricia Wolski]

10:28 PM on 07/24/2011

The new chat box is terrible! All of the things that I used the chat bar for have been taken away or made extremely difficult. I am not interested in being told who I want to talk to. Who are you to dictate that? Restore the old format, this one is useless!

[T Garza]

09:43 PM on 07/24/2011

I would love to see who's actually ONLINE!!
This new chat format is a joke! I have had mine disabled since it was forced upon me, along with almost everyone I know! GET REAL AND FIX THIS GARBAGE!

[Sue Smith Gibson]

09:18 PM on 07/23/2011

I HATE this new chat. PLEASE bring back the old one or allow us to make a choice!

[Chuck Dobbins]

01:04 PM on 07/23/2011

The new chat is awesome....awesomely BAD!

[Judie Raetz Fajardo]

11:47 PM on 07/21/2011

Noooooooo! Please give us the old chat! This is cumbersome, annoying, and not personalized at all. Why did you change it Mark? Please ask those of us who LIVE on facebook many hours a day what we would like to have completely changed before you do it!!!

[Sara Bartos]

11:32 PM on 07/21/2011

I agree with Kim below. I liked having my contacts organized in lists..now hardly anyone is shown as online even when they are..please get the old facebook chat back. please!

[SHYKOSHY]

11:27 PM on 07/21/2011

it is nice to see that facebook is keep on updating, but everyone is complaining about the Fb chat. the new chat is boring and i want the old chat instead!

[Kim Siever]

10:11 PM on 07/21/2011

I hate the fact my contacts aren’t organized by lists anymore. Now I can’t see who from church or school, for example, is online.

[Eros Caldo]

09:49 PM on 07/21/2011

please return the old chat... :(

[rcarty]

08:18 PM on 07/21/2011

The new chat popup ad appears to have broken my Firefox. My horizontal scroll bar no longer shows after it pops up.

[Kurtis Jay]

07:38 PM on 07/21/2011

Everyone Wants The Old Chat Back, Your are ruining the best social network on the site, your constantly changing things that people are not liking to much, bring back the old chat please

[Megan Fiene]

07:16 PM on 07/21/2011

The new chat is horrible. I liked being able to see all the friends I have on Facebook so I can decide who I want to talk to

[Skyla Bishop]

07:08 PM on 07/21/2011

new chat blows i cant understand it keep it simple for people no one wants to get a headache rom trying to go offline gosh thats doing to much

[JA Bertram]

03:51 PM on 07/21/2011

PLEASE GO BACK TO THE OLD CHAT - this new format is NOT user-friendly