Mozilla tweaks Hello Firefox feature for easier account-free video calling

Mozilla has today released its Firefox 35 beta, which arrives with improved ‘Firefox Hello‘ video chat functionality.

First introduced back in October and built in conjunction with mobile operator Telefonica, Firefox Hello allows users to make video calls directly from the browser without the need for additional software using the WebRTC standard. The feature first became available to the browser’s general users with the release of Firefox 34, but version 35 beta sees the feature fleshed out.

One of the benefits of using this standard, rather than a proprietary technology, is that it allows users to connect with anyone that uses a WebRTC-enabled browser, such as Firefox, Chrome or Opera. Today’s changes see a more streamlined call initiation setup for people making calls without a Firefox account (it’s not mandatory to have one in order to make calls) and a slightly different conversation view that shows a self-view until the person you are calling has joined the chat.

You can now also create multiple unique shareable URLs for your conversations and name them whatever you want, meaning you don’t need to keep creating new links for that weekly call with mom or daily call with your colleagues, and you still don’t need an account. If, however, you want to make direct calls to people without sharing links, you’ll both need a Firefox account.

The beta follows the switch to using Yahoo as the default search provider in the release version of Firefox 34.

➤ Calling All Beta Users: Help Test Simplified Calling in Firefox Hello [Mozilla Future Releases Blog]