Facebook’s Standalone Video Chat App Enters Testing

We first heard about Facebook’s Bonfire app earlier this year in July. It was revealed that the company had developed a standalone video chat app. The app has now entered testing. Facebook has quietly released it on the Danish iOS App Store. Those who have a compatible device in the region can now try Facebook’s Bonfire video chat app.

When we first heard about this app, it was reported that Bonfire was quite similar to the HouseParty live video chat app. The app enables users to hold video chats with multiple contacts simultaneously while also adding Snapchat-like effects. Users are also able to share pictures to social networks like Facebook and Instagram.

Friends that are added to a Bonfire chat will receive a notification about it in Messenger. Once they join the chat, the formats can be switched so that all participants get equal screen real estate or one where the person speaker get’s a bigger video tile.

The Next Web reports that the app is only available on the Danish App Store at this point in time where it has been downloaded more than 2,000 times with “good user retention.”

A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed to the scribe that “We’re running a very small test in Denmark of an app we call Bonfire. We have nothing further to share at this time.”

It’s not known at this point in time when Facebook is going to roll out Bonfire in more markets across the globe.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Apps, Bonfire, Facebook