Facebook is building its line of Portal-branded smart video calling devices more suitable to consumers, including those who don’t still have a Facebook account. 

What Does The New Portal Do?

The company states that its Portal family of products will instantly work with only a WhatsApp account, enabling users to make video calls to friends and family, as well as access to its Portal, features like its interactive “Story Time.” 

Besides, the Portal devices are obtaining new AR features, help for Facebook’s Workplace product for companies, and several current streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, SlingTV, and others.

The company’s primary Facebook Portal devices were directed to help connect friends and family by video calling devices used in the home.

This year, it extended the line to add a video chat set-top box for TVs, named Portal TV, to provide Facebook better traction in the living room.

Although video calling solely has not proved to be enough of a selling case for Portal, as its sales were reported “very weak,” according to supply chain references. 

That has led Facebook to switch on new features and services that provide users more of a purpose to invite Facebook into their home.

For entertainment, Facebook is also adding a lip-sync AR app named Mic Drop to Portal TV, which adds songs from the Backstreet Boys, Coldplay, Katy Perry, and others. 

Portal TV is also obtaining Photo Booth, which allows you to take selfies, photos, and videos to share within Messenger.

Videocall on TV | iTMunch

The Trend of WhatsApp Login Continues 

That trend remains today with the well-known addition of WhatsApp login.

This feature enables Portal owners to sign in to the device utilizing only their WhatsApp account. 

They don’t even require a Facebook account at all. 

This starts up Portal to a possibly broader market, given WhatsApp’s 1.5 billion regularly users, not all of whom also own Facebook accounts.

Also, Facebook Portal is seeing to find traction in businesses by including assistance for Facebook Workplace — its corporate version of Facebook that is practiced by 3 million paying users, from essentially enterprise-sized companies. 

The company declared its plans to start a Workplace app on Portal earlier this fall, and presently it has rolled out.

Facebook announced that it intends to bring more content and experiences to Portal with forthcoming software updates.

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