 The loading screen of the Facebook application on a mobile phone is seen in this file photo illustration taken in Lavigny May 16, 2012. (REUTERS/Valentin Flauraud/Files)
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Facebook is testing a new feature to let users make free calls on their smartphones, and right now, it's only available to iPhone users in Canada.
As of Thursday, Canadian Facebook users who update their iOS Messenger apps will be able to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make free calls to any of their Facebook friends.
Simply update your Messenger app, open a conversation, hit the "i" button in the top-right corner and select "Free Call."
With VoIP, calls use a phone's data plan rather than its cellphone minutes.
This feature puts Facebook in competition with services like Microsoft's Skype, Apple's FaceTime and Google's Gmail, which allows U.S. and Canadian users to make free domestic calls from their e-mail browsers.
The feature is only available in Canada, The Next Web reports. If it's a success, it could roll out worldwide.
The update also includes the ability to send voice messages through Facebook. That feature is available worldwide, on both iOS and Android devices.
