The future of video calling: Portal from Facebook adds new content and features

Introducing WhatsApp login

Now you can login to Portal with your WhatsApp account to make video calls and access features like Story Time even if you don’t have a Facebook account.*

More stories to share

Story Time lets you bring children’s stories to life with augmented reality effects that change your appearance to match the characters. We’re adding new renditions of classic stories, Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, plus new tales from Llama Llama, Pete the Cat, and Otto.** 

Workplace on Portal

Portal can help you connect with your co-workers when you’re working from home. Workplace provides a simple and secure way for people to communicate, collaborate and connect at work using familiar Facebook features like chat, video calling and groups. With Workplace on Portal, you can collaborate more effectively, building strong relationships with your co-workers, regardless of distance.***

Portal TV: More ways to tune in

Portal TV brings the Portal experience to the biggest screen in people’s homes. Today’s update includes a number of new features for Portal TV. First up is Mic Drop, which lets you sing along with popular song clips and perform them on an AR stage during a call. With songs from the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Coldplay and more, there’s a tune that’s bound to get everyone’s toes tapping. AR masks transform you into various music genre characters from a punk rocker or hippie to an ’80s rock star. Once your performance is over, you can share a GIF snapshot with your friends.

Photo Booth is coming to Portal TV, so you can snap selfies and take videos, add effects, and then share with people on Messenger from your TV. You can also send a video message if someone misses your call so you can share what’s on your mind in the moment, even when close friends and family aren’t available. You can even share photos from your Superframe feed through Messenger, so friends can see what you see and join the fun.

We’re also adding access to thousands of shows and movies through new streaming partners on Portal TV, including Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada and France along with FandangoNOW and Sling TV, which were recently added in the US. Portal TV owners can now also stream music, podcasts and audio shows from Deezer, plus music from Crave in Canada and video from France Télévisions in France.

Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal+ updates

Starting today, you can livestream from Portal directly to your Facebook profile via Facebook Live, which is a great way to share important moments like birthdays and anniversaries with your loved ones across the country or around the globe. Open the Facebook Live app and let Smart Camera be the cinematographer for your special events. We’re also bringing Watch Together to Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal+, so you can view Facebook Watch shows, including original programming like Red Table Talk, Returning the Favor, and Limetown, in sync with a friend.

More to come

We’ll bring more content and experiences to Portal with future software updates. Share your Portal stories with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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* Features, functionality, and content that require a Facebook login are not available with a WhatsApp-only login. See portal.facebook.com for more detail.

** Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears are available in all countries where Portal products are sold. Llama Llama, Pete the Cat, and Otto are available when Portal is set to US/Canadian English. Llama Llama is also available in Canadian French. 

*** Workplace account needed to enable functionality.