While Facebook Messenger is predominantly used for instant messaging between friends, some people use the platform nowadays to make video and voice calls.
These calls work much in the same way FaceTime does with users only needing an internet connection to establish a call.
If you are looking to make a call with someone on Facebook Messenger then you will first of all need to know if they are already on a call or not.
In this article, we are going to look at the methods you can employ to figure out whether the person your are trying to call is already occupied with someone else. Let’s take a look.
How to tell if someone is on a Facebook call – on the Messenger app
If you’re trying to determine whether someone is currently in a video chat on Facebook Messenger, there are a few indirect signs to look for.
However, it’s important to note that Facebook doesn’t provide a specific “currently video chatting” status for privacy reasons.
Here’s what you might notice:
- Active Status: If someone is online but not replying to messages, they might be busy in a video call. However, this is only speculative since they could also be doing many other things.
- Message Notification: If you send them a message during their potential video chat, they might see the notification but not be able to respond immediately. If they are taking longer than usual to respond, it’s possible (but not definitive) they are in a video call.
- Ringing Without Answer: If you try to video call them and it just keeps ringing without an answer, it’s possible they are on another call. However, again, this isn’t definitive since they might just be away from their device or not in the mood to pick up.
- Audible Notifications: If you’re physically near the person and hear Messenger’s distinctive video call ringtone or sounds of a conversation through their device, they are likely on a video call.
- Direct Confirmation: The most certain way to know is to ask them directly.
It’s always good to approach these signs with respect for the other person’s privacy. If they’re in a video chat or otherwise engaged, they’ll get back to you when they can.
However, the easiest way to check check if someone is on a Facebook call or not is to simply attempt to call them. You can employ this tactic either on the Messenger app or on the Facebook website.
If you try to call someone on Messenger and they are already on a call then you will receive a pop up message from Facebook that tells you that the other person won’t be able to answer because they’re in a call.
To try and make a video or voice call on the Messenger app to check if someone is on another call or not, please follow these steps:
- Log on to your Messenger account.
- Find the user that you want to call, either by opening an existing message thread or by searching for their name on the search bar.
- Once you’ve located the right account/message thread, select either the phone icon or camera icon to voice/video call that user.
- If the call goes through and rings then the person you are ringing isn’t currently on another call and should be able to answer the call if they are online.
The process for doing this on the Messenger website is exactly the same with the icons also being identical across both platforms.
The other user will get a missed call notification when you do this, and you’ll be able to tell whether they’re in a Facebook Messenger call or not.
If you want to find out if someone is on another call without attempting to call them yourself, then there a few things that you can try.
Please note that these won’t give you a concrete answer, though.
Check their online status
Facebook Messenger lets you know if your recent Facebook friends are currently active on the platform and also when they were last seen if they aren’t.
This is a handy tool because it can inform you as to whether you can expect a reply off someone and also let you know if someone is ignoring you or not.
Another benefit of this feature is the fact that it can give you a good idea of whether somebody is currently on a call or not.
If they aren’t currently showing as active then you can be 100% certain that they aren’t on a call, however if they are showing as active then it is possible that they could be on a call.
If you notice that they have been constantly active for a prolonged period of time then it is even more likely that they are on call.
However, as stated above, this method shouldn’t be used if you want a concrete answer in relation to them being on a call.
If you want to see the list of friends who are currently active on Messenger, then please follow these steps:
- Log on to your account via the Messenger app.
- Select ‘people’ from the bottom menu bar.
- This will bring up a list of users who are currently active on the app.
To find out when a specific user was last active on the app, then please follow these steps:
- Log on to your account via the Messenger app.
- Search for the user in question on the search bar or bring up an existing message thread.
- Underneath their name on the top menu bar, you will see ‘active xm ago’.
Message them and ask
If you really want to find out if someone is on a Facebook call or not then the easiest thing to do is to simply message them and ask them.
Unless the person has something to hide then there should be no reason for them to lie, and you’ll be able to tell if they’re on a phone or video call in Messenger pretty quickly.
Plus, if you want to double check if they are lying then just try calling them on the app to see if you receive the pop up from Facebook – this will tell you if they are on an existing call.
Conclusion
To conclude, finding out if someone is on a Facebook call or not will require some investigate work on your end. Facebook won’t just tell you outright unless you bite the bullet and attempt to call them so this is by far the best method available to you.
If that is something you really don’t want to do then you can gain a good idea by keeping tabs on their online status via the Messenger app.
