Facebook launch Messenger feature giving US users ability to make free phone calls

Users in US and Canada given a new way to cut the cellphone bills

Facebook has added a fresh feature to its iPhone app which allows users to make free phone calls in the United States free of charge.

The development is currently only available in the US and can only be used by people who have the Messenger app installed on their phone. Facebook has said that it is working on making the feature available for Android and BlackBerry devices but has neglected to give any indication as to whether it will be available in other countries.

Users can join the network through wi-fi or data connection (which means they can pay for calls out of their data allowance). It’s likely to be a hit with gossip-mongers and chatterboxes hoping to cut their network call charges. The feature is then accessed by clicking the ‘i’ icon in the top right corner of a conversation within Messenger and then selecting “Free Call”.

The social networking giant has launched the new feature completely independently of Skype, which is already integrated into the Facebook website according to a spokesperson.

“We started testing this in Canada in the first week of the year and today we’re extending that test to the US,” the spokesperson told The Telegraph.

“We were able to expand the test so quickly because it went well in Canada and we wanted to expand the audience.”

The announcement comes just days after Facebook unveiled its new Graph Search feature which allows its users to search for people and images on the social network with greater ease.