

But if you’re using WhatsApp, you can avoid all that. And while the content of your Portal calls isn’t used for advertising, some basic data, like how often you use it, is (you might see more Facebook ads for video-calling, for example). WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted, which is more secure than just the Portal via Messenger calls.

(Previously, you could make video calls to someone’s phone, for which they didn’t need a Portal as well.) Yes, WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, so technically you’re still using some sort of Zuckerberg-controlled calling. Now you can use WhatsApp to log in and make calls to other WhatsApp users. Of course, I also realize that nobody wants one in their home, because, you know…what dummy would allow an always-on Facebook video camera into their home? No matter how private and secure the company promises the Portal is (and honestly, it’s pretty secure!), a lot of people are turned off by it being a Facebook product. In BuzzFeed News’ review of these products, I wholeheartedly recommend them as fun and entertaining. The Portal TV is even better than the countertop device because it’s a tiny gizmo that turns your TV into a video chat, rather than a bulky device with a screen the size of an iPad. The original countertop Portal and the new Portal TV are genuinely great video-chatting devices, with clear pictures, easy-to-use interfaces, fun face filters, and a smart camera that makes it seamless to have several people onscreen (even little ones who move around a lot). This should be good news for anyone interested in the Portal, but who either didn’t have a Facebook account or didn’t trust Facebook (reasonable!), to have a video-chat device in their home. Previously, the Portal could call people on WhatsApp, but callers still needed to create and log in with an active Facebook account. With a new update today, the Facebook Portal can be used exclusively with a WhatsApp log-in and calls - no Facebook account needed.
