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Facebook Messenger Video Calling/Chat
Hello. I am not familiar with this end to end encryption that Facebook now does for Messenger but now when I try to use Video Calling/Chat it tells me it is not supported by my browser, Firefox. I have never had any problems with it before. Is there a fix? Thanks
Chosen solution
I agree with everyone that it always worked in the past....this is something new!
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No ideas? I'm very surprised!!
wolfdad said
it is not supported by my browser
Did you understand the message? Not a browser issue, FB wants you to use another browser. See the results from a search.
Modified
This must be a very recent change because it has always worked in the past!
You will have to ask FB. You should no that Mozila wouldn't want to affect so many users. That would be a very bad move. If there are no more you can mark this issue as resolved because there is nothing we can do.
Mine was working fine until the last Firefox update. Now I cannot use Messenger Video Chat.
Modified
Chosen Solution
I agree with everyone that it always worked in the past....this is something new!
How many others are having this problem? I am not finding any solutions apart from switching browsers. Has Mozilla given up the battle with Facebook?
I agree with you and it would seem so!
And now, not only FB Messenger....tonight I could not do Zoom with my daughter on a link she sent me on FB Messenger.....And again I had to go to Microsoft Edge. After many years of using Firefox, I am not so sure anymore!!
What's REALLY odd is that not only did the same thing happen to me a while ago, but there are a few people on my Messenger list that I CAN still use the video chat with, but not most people. What's different about those people? Don't understand it one bit.
Please someone from Mozilla tell us what is really happening and send us a solution. It's really making a mess of a weekly international Messenger call I participate on, especially when I occasionally have to initiate the connections with the group.
Seems we get silence from Mozilla! Maybe time to try the Brave browser
Why so much silence on this issue? it is very irritating to now have to use two browsers. I have stayed with Linux and Firefox for well over 40 years. This is sad!
This is no mystery, Facebook is blacklisting Firefox. It's the end-to-end encryption that nobody asked for. It's promoted as "Now nobody can see your chats except you!", except that was always true, nobody has authorized downgrading any chats with this mess, and it means the Messenger app tries to force us to set a pin (no thank you, I already have a password for Facebook, I do not permit another, apparently it's to identify which devices are authorized to see chat history from when after the infection but before the app was logged in). When I get calls, it tells me to download the Messenger app (no, Facebook isn't allowed its own app on my computer) or a compatible browser, for which it only lists Internet Explorer - oops, I mean Edge - and Chrome, which I won't use because it ignores the industry standards of the internet. Here's their article about this:
https://www.facebook.com/help/597429858389632/
(That is the link that clicking "supported browser" in my picture leads to). Basically, Facebook claims (indirectly) that Firefox doesn't support end-to-end encryption (E2EE for simpler Google searches), at least not in a way that allows audio and video chats. And we can't turn it off or say no and keep the chat clean (only way currently is group chats, group chats can't be E2EE, at least for now, you can start a chat with two people and remove one. But I dunno if calling is supported in groups. Actually, I just checked, and the icons are there and enabled). People noticing that it still works with some people, yes. Those are the ones WITHOUT the "Messenger upgraded security to end-to-end encryption" message in them, THEY can still be called and send calls, at least until Messenger infects those chats too.
This is a Facebook problem, but complaining THERE is like yelling at a brick wall, at least when we individuals do it, the Report A Problem/Feedback feature seems to have been disconnected about 3 years ago, nobody at the other end now seemingly. All Facebook changes are always against the public interest, and they never listen to public outcry and never LEARN to make things (like this) optional. So, we need the heavier firepower of Mozilla/Firefox to step in and communicate with Facebook, this is a company-on-company attack, Mozilla needs to get them to stop blacklisting Firefox. Hopefully this could be as simple as Firefox implementing some code that will convince Facebook that Firefox is acceptable now, I don't know why they aren't allowing Firefox.
This issue is new because it's based on a new change to Facebook. They've added an end-to-end encryption (E2EE) that nobody asked for. Promoted as "Now nobody can see your chats but you!", except that was always true, but now E2EE is getting in the way of things. Any infected chat has the message "Messenger upgraded the security of this chat. Messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption". They do not OFFER, they just do it. We cannot reject it, and we cannot turn it off. If we get a call, we get my first screenshot. That "supported browser" link gets the first webpage in my second screenshot, the other is specifically about video calls and somehow adds Opera. Facebook is claiming that Firefox isn't capable of E2EE, at least the way that they use it for video/audio chats.
Calls used to work because E2EE just started in the last few months. Calls still working with some people is because THOSE chats haven't been infected with this yet. Only way around it is apparently they can't apply E2EE in group chats, so you can start a new group with two people, then remove one. It ACTS as a group but you're still only communicating with one.
Since users are completely voiceless at Facebook, Mozilla/Firefox has to contact them about fixing this. Theoretically it may be as simple as Firefox adding some code that will convince Facebook to recognize Firefox as a valid browser.
This problem with FaceBook needs to be fixed PRONTO. Otherwise forces beyond my control (she who must be obeyed) will force me to stop using FireFox as my preferred browser.
See also:
Note that this is being worked on.
- 1896361 - www.facebook.com - Missing video and audio call buttons in encrypted chat
(please do not comment in bug reports
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html)