Facebook Portal TV – Big Screen Smart Video Calling for Group Calls on Your TV
Portal comparison
 Portal TV |  Portal 10″ |  Portal+ | Portal TV | |
| Display | Connects to TV with HDMI input | 10″ HD adaptive touchscreen | 15.6″ HD adaptive touchscreen | Connect to TV with HDMI input |
| Input | Remote control or voice | Touchscreen or voice command | Touchscreen or voice command | Remote control or voice |
| Alexa built in | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Enjoy your favourite apps | Spotify, Netflix, Zoom & more | Spotify, Zoom, Plex and more | Spotify, Zoom, Plex and more | Spotify, Netflix, Zoom & more |
| Available colours | Black | Black or White | Black or White | Black |
| Dimensions | 3.2cm h x 19.1cm w x 5.7cm d | 17.9cm h x 26cm w x 14.12cm d | 44.8cm h x 14.6cm w x 22.3cm d | 3.2cm h x 19.1cm w x 5.7cm d |
| Dimensions: | 3.3 x 5.7 x 19 cm; 762 Grams |
| Model: | 899-00081-13 |
| Origin: | China |
Just the Job for the whole family
It’s a great thing to see Family and Friends when talking we had chats with them from all over, and it was great. When you got up to walk around the room the camera follows you by zooming in and out. The screen shows great pictures when not in use or you can just say Hey Portal Screen off and you have a blank screen.
Highly recommend
Portal tv Must have bit of tec
Had this a few days now
I’ve mad many video calls and I’m more than happy contacted all my family miles away over new year flawless no buffering no interruptions just flawless video calls and the added bonus of having elexer but in having access to amazon music we haven’t had any time for TV would highly recommend portal tv
Just the Job for the whole family
It’s a great thing to see Family and Friends when talking we had chats with them from all over, and it was great. When you got up to walk around the room the camera follows you by zooming in and out. The screen shows great pictures when not in use or you can just say Hey Portal Screen off and you have a blank screen.
Highly recommend
Excellent way to keep in touch with elderly parents
We bought this for our mother (in her 80s) so she can keep in touch with the family. She already had a Facebook account (and an Alexa to control lights around her house) and thus was not a great leap for her to start using this for video calling (and as an Alexa)
The voice commands do work for her (using UK English), I’m guessing there must of been an update since some of the other reviews on here.
Mum is able to ring the family easier than with her tablet, and will quite often phone us just for a chat whilst she does other things (she was doing her ironing last time I spoke to her!), She also is quite adept at receiving calls even when watching TV; the unit flashes light and there is a ringing sound.
Mum does not use WhatsApp do I cannot comment on that, however she does use Netflix and that works well for her – if it had a Disney+ app (and maybe Now TV) I would buy one for myself in a heartbeat!
Has massive potential!
Really good so far setup with WhatsApp and no issues at all. You can add filters and funny things for laugh. You can also read stories and things from dr. Seuss which is great for my nephew. It just needs the ability to play back music through the built in speaker and voice control for Spotify to get a 5/5. I can see these being in every home within the next few years especially with covid about. These are awesome to keep in touch.
Hopefully they keep supporting these and the Alexa features too.
Not what I was expecting.
A neat little gadget which sits on top of tv.
Arrived next day well packaged.
Didn’t take long to set up , about 20mins but one I got it working I wasn’t all that impressed.
I like to play radio through my echo dot so I was pleased when I read that it had Alexa built in , however when asked it to play music the tv screen has to be on so it then began screening all the photos in my folder. This was ok at first but after a couple of days I was getting bored looking at them . I couldn’t find any way of just having a blank screen and playing music through Alexa and it is very distracting when listening to music and the tv screen is on in front of you.
Before the best way to video call
I have been wanting to try this out for quite some time, but couldn’t justify the 150 for it. After finally seeing it on a huge discount, I bot the bullet.
I have family in Japan and a niece I have not yet met due to covid. And I always feel awful that during any celebration, my brother just gets passed along the family members on a tablet.
This year though, he was able to see everyone at Christmas and feel a part of the day. All my family members love it and especially my two toddlers.
I honestly think anyone deciding whether or not to get one…. DO IT. You will not be disappointed. Its absolutely amazing and so easy to use.
Everyone that has received a call from us has commented on how good the video quality is from their side too.
Amazing bit of tech.
Great bit of kit but no HDMI cable
I couldn’t believe there was no hdmi cable included! It should really be an add on item and made clear that one is not included instead of the teeny tiny little message on the back of the box. Otherwise it’s awesome
Great bit of kit but no HDMI cable
I couldn’t believe there was no hdmi cable included! It should really be an add on item and made clear that one is not included instead of the teeny tiny little message on the back of the box. Otherwise it’s awesome
Distanced family connecto
Between my dislike of Facebook and some of the negative reviews on here, I was slightly putoff buying this product. We normally use our Show 8’s for family video calls, but the screen size is not great. Anyway, being a Yorkshireman (Short arms and deep pockets) the current price reduction caught my attention (54), so I bought one.
When mounted on a 60″ TV the quality of the calling experience is great and I love the way the camera appears to follow you around the room, zooming in and out as required. You can also video call with WhatsApp, Messenger, and Zoom so plenty of choices. I liked it so much, that I bought 2 more for my family. If you can’t visit then this is the next best thing.
The best way to stay connected
We are always looking for ways to keep our family connected, this last two years more than ever, and Portal TV has given us the best way to stay in touch. It was super easy to set up (and I am not the most technically minded person!), link to my Facebook and Instagram accounts, and start chatting to our family and friends! The smart camera and sound is a godsend with four kids all talking over each other (three of whom can’t keep still!) and so I love how it tracks them all, widens the angle to fit them all in, and picks up on the speaker so their voices are clear. When speaking to elderly relatives this is so important!! The kids love the fun features, especially story time and the Harry Potter backgrounds, and we have been using it every day since we got it!
100% recommend as an affordable way to stay connected, we will be using it on christmas morning to keep our family close.
Brillia
If you use messenger you need, nice to see the family abroad.
Great device!
I love it!! You can add apps to it, make video calls through messenger, listen to music and so much more. It also works like a digital picture frame!! It has alexa on it, so I can ask questions or get help if I need it which is a plus. It knows my voice, and I can set up a pin to keep people off it if I choose so. (Which I went ahead and did) I also enjoy that it has a privacy mode where you can turn off your camera and mic. There is so many things I absolutely love. I also learned I can surf the web on it, and turn off Alexa’s purchase by voice feature so I have no worries of her picking up purchases from commercials on tv or my kids. Another cool thing I love is I can set my favorite contacts, and I can click on the icons to call them. It has a decent speaker on the back of it when I play music through spotify that projects amazing sound quality. Believe me, the portal gets LOUD. It has another cool feature called story mode. It can read books to littles! How cool is that? That’s not even all the portal has to offer but that’s a few of my favorites! I can also have her set alarms, she shows the time and weather too. I also have her alert me of bad weather. Over all this thing is absolutely mind blowing, and goes beyond what I was expecting it to do.
Keeping in touch
All parts of our family now have one. It is invaluable for keeping in touch when self isolating.
Great purchase
My parents use this with just whatsapp and it works great. Love that it can follow them around the room and zoom in and out without them holding it – no more forehead shots and nose viewings! Unfortunately what they can see of me just using my phone screen is limited but might invest in a portal mini. Very pleased with this purchase.
Great produc
Easy to set up and use, and great to be able to keep in contact with friends and family especially those overseas.
A great addition to my techy world
I find this works great with Zoom and gives me easy access to online videos and music. I find the design a little awkward, with one stand to support the device but, overall, I would recommend it.
Wish it had a battery backup and MS teams support.
Does it’s job to the till. Wish it had a battery backup as it struggles to pan across the room. Missing MS teams is a big gap as it would have become the default mode for all of video calls and comma.
Wish it had a battery backup and MS teams support.
Does it’s job to the till. Wish it had a battery backup as it struggles to pan across the room. Missing MS teams is a big gap as it would have become the default mode for all of video calls and comma.
Nobody is too far away any more!
Excellent. Got this so we can have face to face contact with my Dad now he’s on his own. Cant wait to set his up his end now…. highly recommend
Great present idea
Present for my wife, who was initially unimpressed by the black box that she’d never asked for. Now permanently in use and loves it. One of my more successful present ideas!
I bought 2 when special offer on for 99 each which was a saving of 80 for each one. We have one in our lounge in East Yorkshire and one at my daughter’s in Manchester and we love them. Crystal clear video allows us to sit together on a couch with the Portal near the fireplace and the camera automatically zooms in to give portrate sized shot of us for her., and of her for us. Also can load with photos stored on smart phone to act as photo frame which turns itself on & off as you come and go in the room.
I love it.... Mostly
Ok so I put it on top of my TV which is on the wall. A higher camera is slimming after all…. Right?
Well…. It doesn’t matter. This thing balloons so much that I thought I had eaten my weight in cake daily for a month. I was so ashamed of my size that for three days I was taking long long walks and refusing to eat meals.
Anyway I was using it to see if I had lost any weight (I only have head size mirrors in my house) and I looked just as big and as I was feeling super disgusted with this new elephant version of myself when I noticed that on the screen my rectangle rug had a great big semi circle shape in it.
That’s great. I haven’t gained 40lbs, the camera has a fish eye lense. Which would be fine, but WHYY is there an option to take lots of photos together? No one wants to take pictures of “what will I look like in 30 cakes time”.
Someone please tell me how to look less fat.
Relax and video call the family
Bought this to improve the calls to parents and family during COVID – we now have a son heading to uni – so the process will continue !
Imagine your family sitting around and watching the WhatsApp call on the tv – the auto focus is excellent – the camera will change to fit everyone in !! The sound is clear as a bell ! So no more propping the phone on coasters and squeezing four adults into the screen ! We love it and have shown it off !! So sit back and relax and just watch the call on your tv !!
Amazing
I love this thing. It s working nice with my TV with amazing images and sound. I hope we will get updates in the future and maybe they will consider even more functions. The follow function and focus function is an amazing aspect. I am really happy with i
Brings families togethe
I had one bought for me and then bought one for my family so that I could see and speak to my granddaughter, it has been a great asset and is used regularly. Sometimes it stutters or connection fails but I don’t think this has anything to do with the portal itself.
The only concern I had is that I use it through Whats App and when I initially installed it all my listings of contacts I have on my phone were listed across the screen I had expected it to be just the people listed on Whats App
Brings families togethe
I had one bought for me and then bought one for my family so that I could see and speak to my granddaughter, it has been a great asset and is used regularly. Sometimes it stutters or connection fails but I don’t think this has anything to do with the portal itself.
The only concern I had is that I use it through Whats App and when I initially installed it all my listings of contacts I have on my phone were listed across the screen I had expected it to be just the people listed on Whats App
Great portal but charger broke
I love my Facebook portal and have used it since Christmas 2020 lots to stay in face to face contact with my daughters and parents during lockdown. A really worthwhile buy.
Unfortunately today the plug on the charger cable broke – one of the pins snapped off in the socket. Disappointingly, I can’t find anywhere where I can get a replacement cable so now can’t use the portal – can anyone help?
Brillia
My mum is deaf and speaks using sign language i got this for her and she loves it she can now call me or any of her Facebook friends and talk to them fantastic gadge
Portal tv
Enjoying the quality of calls and when my granddaughter moves round the room the camera trackes her or anybody so always in shot. But disappointed the hdmi cable wasn’t included as I couldn’t set it up till I bought one.
Very happy
This is an amazing bit of kit. As I stay in England and I have most of my family in Scotland I talk to them all the time on this. My kids absolutely love it when the animations that comes with i
Great for keeping intouch
Great we use it to be able to see and speak to our family in USA and to be able to see our grandchildren. My mother is 88 and disabled but we use it so she can see and speak to family
This review is for the 10″ portal. I wanted the portal tv but the reviews were shocking so I’m glad I got this.
It’s absolutely outstanding.
Dead easy to set up. Videos are on YTube to help you. Super quick. You do need a Facebook account and what’s app on your phone.
You can put whatever photos you like on this. Off Facebook. Off Instagram or just off your phone via the portal app.
The sound quality is outstanding as is the visual quality. Phone calls are clear.
Alexa was a fiddle. It doesn’t work in British voice at all. I got the Alexa app and set up all my smart lights and sockets and cameras around the house. But like others report you have to change the language from English UK to English US. yes it means you’ve got an American talking to you all day but who cares. I get the portal to turn the tv on, the volume up or down, turn lights on and off, and I can view all the cameras around the house too.
The storyline feature is a fun gimmick. Love it. You can use Zoom on this and Facebook live. Etc etc.
Do your research before buying but trust me the portal 10″ frame is great.
Best thing I ever bought it brings our family together during these hard times.
Bought 2 one for my son and his family and one for my daughter and her family I already had one so now we can all sit comfortably in our own homes and have nice chat all together and sometimes a little cheeky drink together.
Be with your family without traveling
Reading the my grandchildren as part of home schooling, play bingo with them. Family quiz night. Just like being in the same room with them. Really didn’t expect to be so glad to have it, but I wouldn’t be parted now
UK based and I Love Portal TV!
I’m a tech informed person, researched this carefully, and bought one for me and my elderly parents in another country. Since user interaction is very easy, my parents (with hearing, mobility and tech limitations) can manage making and receiving calls. Once connected, we all sit on sofas or reclining chairs and just talk. That’s the best part. We can just chat together as a group (offer two people on each side) without tech getting in the way. There’s no dropping phones, getting disconnected, only seeing Mum’s ear when she can’t hear the phone’s speaker – only a comfortable chat among family. It’s truly as close to being in the same room we can get right now. We’ve shared milestone birthdays with cake and blowing out candles. Sadly one side can only see the cake but still it’s on the big screen and visible enough to almost taste it. Using any video chat platform on any smaller device just doesn’t compare. Even Airplaying or Chromecasting your phone to the TV still means the camera is subject to position the phone and it’s microphone until it falls over. Currently you do need a Facebook account to use Messanger or use WhatsApp. Minor issues of someone’s voice command not working and having to click a remote a couple times instead is just trivial. It’s not perfect, but neither is an iPhone after years of development. Having family and friends on the big screen with minimal tech complication is simply priceless. (I’m a private consumer with no other interest than connecting with family).
UK based and I Love Portal TV!
I’m a tech informed person, researched this carefully, and bought one for me and my elderly parents in another country. Since user interaction is very easy, my parents (with hearing, mobility and tech limitations) can manage making and receiving calls. Once connected, we all sit on sofas or reclining chairs and just talk. That’s the best part. We can just chat together as a group (offer two people on each side) without tech getting in the way. There’s no dropping phones, getting disconnected, only seeing Mum’s ear when she can’t hear the phone’s speaker – only a comfortable chat among family. It’s truly as close to being in the same room we can get right now. We’ve shared milestone birthdays with cake and blowing out candles. Sadly one side can only see the cake but still it’s on the big screen and visible enough to almost taste it. Using any video chat platform on any smaller device just doesn’t compare. Even Airplaying or Chromecasting your phone to the TV still means the camera is subject to position the phone and it’s microphone until it falls over. Currently you do need a Facebook account to use Messanger or use WhatsApp. Minor issues of someone’s voice command not working and having to click a remote a couple times instead is just trivial. It’s not perfect, but neither is an iPhone after years of development. Having family and friends on the big screen with minimal tech complication is simply priceless. (I’m a private consumer with no other interest than connecting with family).
It keeps you in Touch
This is an excellent product. I find it ideal for Grand Parents, who not have much IT knowledge to be able to keep in touch with their family and Grand Children.(You do not need a portal the other end, just a decent phone. turn it on it’s side for best results). I bought 7 Portal TV’s as Xmas presents for the close Family. and Starting with Xmas day, we have had several virtual parties parties since and these have quite events. I would now say they would make an excellent and much appreciated Mothers and/or Fathers day present for those who do have a household Modem. I am also considering buying another, to put on standby, now that the prices have dropped.
Great product with an amazing camera
Brilliant bit of technology for putting Whatsapp, Facebook, Netflix and Prime Video on your TV. If your TV only has one HDMi port and you are already using it, then you may need a splitter.
Grea
What a great product. Follows you around the room so that the people the other end can see you all the time.
Works great with Wats App. We do quizes with four differnt family members all around the country.
Highly recommened.
Portal tv. perfect addition to the home
Does everything it says on the box clips on top of tv. In the UK ste voice for on in UK and works a treat with voice activation. Now play games with family on it and hardly watch the TV now
Fabulous
Love it. We were able to see our grandchildren over Christmas
Been essential during Lockdown!
I managed to purchase 3 of the Facebook Portal TVs in March 2020 before we went into lockdown. (Plus an HDMI for each one) Over the last 12 months they have been essential for our 3 families to keep in touch across the country.
I set mine up for my elderly parents and they find it so easy to use – they can answer it when it rings and know how to dial out. They can sit on their sofa and see everything on a big screen which suits them perfectly.
At Christmas we played all sorts of virtual games and as the camera moves about so well, we could do all sorts of physical games in our own homes as well as normal board/card games. If you set the angle up properly the camera can see everything.
You can have 4 WhatsApp callers at once but we use Facebook Messenger normally as can have 8 callers and for some reason it seems clearer. I really do think these are brilliant and in our new virtual world – it’s well worth the money.
Been essential during Lockdown!
I managed to purchase 3 of the Facebook Portal TVs in March 2020 before we went into lockdown. (Plus an HDMI for each one) Over the last 12 months they have been essential for our 3 families to keep in touch across the country.
I set mine up for my elderly parents and they find it so easy to use – they can answer it when it rings and know how to dial out. They can sit on their sofa and see everything on a big screen which suits them perfectly.
At Christmas we played all sorts of virtual games and as the camera moves about so well, we could do all sorts of physical games in our own homes as well as normal board/card games. If you set the angle up properly the camera can see everything.
You can have 4 WhatsApp callers at once but we use Facebook Messenger normally as can have 8 callers and for some reason it seems clearer. I really do think these are brilliant and in our new virtual world – it’s well worth the money.
Best purchase eve
Wish we had bought this in lockdown 1. Best way to contact family via video call. Absolutely brilliant . Feels like the family are in our living room. We call every day and my family get to watch my children have fun and my baby grow up
During these troubled times my portal is my lifeline. I bought one for my Mum too and we chat far more often than we ever did on the phone. It feels like she is in the room with me, allowing more natural conversation. Mum is in her 90s so not having to touch the portal is ideal. I was so proud of her the first time she called me. Keeping in touch with the whole, very widely distributed, family is so much easier.
The only negative i have is the inability to have screens replaced if you are daft enough to drop the device.
Its good, privacy issures are the next problem i hear.
Would have given 3 n half stars but its not poss. Its a brilliant idear, its very technical could have been made simplier but it needs a lot of tweeking. You cannot as of yet sync with your google calender. Im finding out as i use it things that it cant do that would be helpful.
The portal has its own comand thingy like alexa but try to say portal it dont understand very frustraitng… so i use Alexa… you need the Alexa app on your phone to set that up. It can seem overwhelming but with new devices you get there and there is support on facebook. I used portal to speak to my mother abroad, its easy for her to answer and it have execellent speakers . Set up facebook account if you dont have one and follow instructions. I had some sound distortion difficulties but i think facebook suport sorted it as family can hear me speak now. Picture is good… now and again it pixalates.
Better than it says on the ti
This is better than I dared hoped it would be. Bought for elderly Grandparent who are not very techy, so initial set up required a small degree of assistance by slightly savvy teenager. Usage after that very straight forward, Use of facebook and Alexa not required, can be setup purely for Whatsapp which is what we wanted, Clarity of camera, clarity of microphone both excellent. The follow me /zoom feature of the camera is ideal for older less agile grandparents who can sit casually in their own chair and have an almost normal conversation with grandchildren as if they are in the room with them. My 93 year old Dad thinks it is marvelous, far better than trying to prop up a mobile phone to talk to his grandson. The price could be a bit off putting, but the price has come down in the last few weeks and what price is the pleasure of grandparents seeing grandchildren, life size on the television in the corner, to talk to them like they are in the room.
Better than it says on the ti
This is better than I dared hoped it would be. Bought for elderly Grandparent who are not very techy, so initial set up required a small degree of assistance by slightly savvy teenager. Usage after that very straight forward, Use of facebook and Alexa not required, can be setup purely for Whatsapp which is what we wanted, Clarity of camera, clarity of microphone both excellent. The follow me /zoom feature of the camera is ideal for older less agile grandparents who can sit casually in their own chair and have an almost normal conversation with grandchildren as if they are in the room with them. My 93 year old Dad thinks it is marvelous, far better than trying to prop up a mobile phone to talk to his grandson. The price could be a bit off putting, but the price has come down in the last few weeks and what price is the pleasure of grandparents seeing grandchildren, life size on the television in the corner, to talk to them like they are in the room.
Brilliant for staying in touch
Fantastic product. My daughter and her wife were able to Face call family over Christmas with a newborn baby so we didn’t miss out. They could carry on with baby whilst opening presents and walking around the room and we didn’t miss a thing!
Great fun product, easy to set up and use
Really pleased with this portal, it’s great to use when talking to grandchildren who never sit still! Lots of fun to use and bought when it was on offer so good value for money. Easy to set up and use.
Connected
This has to be the best thing I have ever purchased especially in these times ,it has been a godsend keeping us connected with my family and friends over Christmas and new year ,it really does feel like you are in the room with them especially if they have a portal also ,would highly recommend
Great for keeping in touch with family.
I purchased this to speak to family in the comfort of my living room. I have done mirroring before on my TV but this is 100 times better. The camera is very good, it zooms into any individuals talking so come across clearly. If you have poor quality it maybe to do with your broadband or where your broadband is based. I am only signed in via what’s app as I don’t use Facebook and it works really well, I have recommended the portal to my close family and friends. I don’t use Alexa so I can’t comment on that part of the portal but it is easily one of the best things I’ve purchased during lockdown.
Seeing family even when apa
Bought as a gift for family separated by Covid-19. They appreciated i
Excellent produc
Bought for Whatsapp chats through a tv rather than a mobile phone. Works without a Facebook account and the video quality is so much better than regular Whatsapp calls via a phone camera.
Definitely worth it in these times when you can’t see people face to face. It’s quite easy to set up too
All good so fa
I took a ‘Black Friday’ punt on this with the sole aim of having a more comfortable means of talking to my elderly parents. It is easy to set up (I’m not very tech -savvy) with simple step by step instructions on the screen. I’m confident my parents will be able to set theirs up with minimal help (fingers crossed) when I eventually get theirs to them. The camera is great as is the sound quality and it’s nice for my parents to be able to see all of us at once (which is trickier using a mobile phone). Having Alexa incorporated is an added bonus. I am not on Facebook and only use it for WhatsApp calls but all good so far. I have the 10 inch screen which is great but not sure I’d pay the full 170 price tag for it.
Great Produc
I bought this for my parents as a Christmas present so that they can keep in touch with friends and family especially their grand-daughter who lives 350 miles away.
Before purchasing this product, I would suggest that your Internet connection should be an unlimited service (which I am), as I was just curious as to how much data video calling used. 2 WhatsApp calls for about 40 minutes each used 80Gb of data. So about 1Gb a minute if you look at it like that.
In the box you just get instructions booklet, the unit and the power lead.
The HDMI lead isn’t included which is what you use to connect it to the TV, you also need to check if your TV supports HDMI, most modern TV’s do and that you have a spare port. So if you don’t have a spare cable lying around then you will need to purchase one.
My parents don’t have a Facebook account and this product still works via WhatsApp and Zoom.
The camera sets up very easily via Wi-Fi once connected and doesn’t take too long before it’s testing the camera and mic.
My dad likes to use WhatsApp through his phone which he can now use via the portal. You can also download the Zoom App, and have a zoom meeting from the comfort of the sofa.
The camera follows you round so that you never miss being on camera. Alexa is also built into the device and will respond but only when the TV is on.
Great product.
All good so fa
I took a ‘Black Friday’ punt on this with the sole aim of having a more comfortable means of talking to my elderly parents. It is easy to set up (I’m not very tech -savvy) with simple step by step instructions on the screen. I’m confident my parents will be able to set theirs up with minimal help (fingers crossed) when I eventually get theirs to them. The camera is great as is the sound quality and it’s nice for my parents to be able to see all of us at once (which is trickier using a mobile phone). Having Alexa incorporated is an added bonus. I am not on Facebook and only use it for WhatsApp calls but all good so far. I have the 10 inch screen which is great but not sure I’d pay the full 170 price tag for it.
Great way to keep in touch!
A great way to see your relatives during lockdown. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in every country, including Dubai.
easy to set up
Like being able to move about more than with the smaller one
RUBISH SERVICE
A GREAT PRODUCT,SHAME I HADTO BUY IT FROM ARGOS BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO DELIVER IT.
Great product and works fantastic with my family but for the money I would have liked to see a HDMI cable with it.
Facebook porthole 😊👌
Brilliant as you can see whomever your talking too without standing close to it like you have to do with all the other products on the market…
I love it.
Thank you.
No issues with the delivery amazon come up trumps in my book compared to ebay which I always have problems getting what I’ve purchased.
Thanks amazo
As others already mentioned, the device does not receive calls, which is a bit frustrating at first. Facebook helpcentre recommends calling from the Portal to a mobile device first, which allegedly triggers an updates of the Messenger app on the mobile, which then should be able to make a call the other way round. This never helped though. In the end we’re happy to receive calls from grandmother whenever it suits her schedule rather than randomly calling her when she’s hanging out, so not a major issue. Bought it in a substantial discount as well – maybe would be more annoyed by this had I paid the full price 😀
Otherwise quite a premium-looking device, decent screen and sound quality. You can install a Portal app on your phone, log in with your grandma’s account and keep feeding her with pictures that are then displayed on the device after each call – another thing she really enjoys, except for the photo of a common seal we met on a beach, which creeps her out. Well, she’s from a landlocked country so that’s understandable 🙂
I’m still a bit nervous from the possibility that Facebook might just randomly block her account due to a lack of other activity or whatever, which would be a massive inconvenience. Let’s see and keep it four stars for now 🙂
Great produc
The smart camera on this is worth the price alone. It makes video calling with your TV a breeze.
I had an issue setting mine up but the technical support team is excellent too.
You don’t have to have a Facebook account you can just use WhatsApp but you do need at least one or the other.
My daughter and I had lots of fun playing around with all the silly effects as well.
We already have a smart TV but for those that don’t this adds a lot of the services you would want from one.
It would be nice if they had an App Store or a bit more of a selection though. Support for Zoom is lacking
It arrived a day early, the packaging was excellent and just taking it out of the box and setting it up using the on screen instructions was brilliant it connected to my phone with no problems at all, it has got all my photos off my phone and displys them on the screen as a slide show, the hey portal voice activated instructions are fast, the wide image camera is fantastic we can talk to our family and friends without using my phone for face time calls and although none of them have a portal they can see both my husband and myself.
I am one very happy portal owner and i still have so much more to learn about i
One opened one the Christmas prese
Well I’ve only setup one as the other is a Christmas present it is all working fine and it has more features than I thought Amazon prime TV and Netflix as well as Facebook watch which is a service that I’m sure that will grow
Absolutely brillia
I wasn’t sure with my purchase as I saw a few negative comments from UK customers but so glad I decided to give it a try. Portal + is just huge tablet for various uses for everyone in my family. Setting up was very easy, activating Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom, YouTube and other apps permissions was without any problems. Of course, the choise of apps is limited but I believe they will be adding more and more soon. On the other side it’s not a problem as I easily set up the bookmarks on the main menu and with one touch we can just use our most used TV/satellite channels, study courses and other sources over the website, they all running smoothly. Quality of the camera is amazing, screen resolution as well. Game selection fit to all of us, only Checkers are not working as the moment. Uploading photos from my phone was little bit harder, but I blame my phone. ..As a Google home fan and owner of various smart devices, I had to install Alexa first time on my phone to activate it, but she works on Portal without any problem. Voice commands are limited as she can only open apps, not a bookmarks but we don’t need this at all. She reacts to all members of our family, even to my Czech accent :). We have now Google and Alexa but it doesn’t make any troubles as we use Google for most of the devices and Alexa is there for Portal only..
It’s quite heavy gadget but the handle in the back is making it very easy to move it to another room. I found only one negative thing on this beauty and it is a sound. Sound settings has only three levels and even on lower bass settings, sometimes we thing it’s still quite high. I think it’s little bit unpleasant when it’s in lower volume, in higher it’s not so bad…. Screen resolution is amazing as I mentioned, watching RedBull videos is nice bonus (app from the store).
I have to say that for 220 pounds it’s absolutely amazing 15inch gadget, with brilliant camera, microphone and screen resolution and has a huge potential in the future. But for me it’s perfect already.
This is a nice product and the video worked well, especially via Facebook video messaging, however, I bought this for my parents who are in their mid-eighties and cannot do technology. There is no auto answer function and so requires pressing ok on the remote (or by voice control) to answer, and when call is finished it leaves the TV on the Portal input rather than switching back to the TV channels. I therefore have returned the product. It’s a shame that technology companies don’t make it simple for the elderly who can just about change tv channels and certainly cannot handle multiple button pushes to switch from one device to another.
No HDMI cable at this cos
At this cost they could at least include an HDMI cable
I bought one of these for parents to talk to grandchildren as they struggled with the complexity of other systems. I had to set up a dummy facebook account for each family which worked well. It takes time to download all the updates so did this in advance of delivering to family. Wifi connection works OK but sometimes the image quality isnt as good as I would like. I tried wifi booster but the best option is to hardwire the ethernet connection. I used an ethernet to usb c adapter to plug into the USB c port on the portal TV and then connected to a devolo dlan plug. Works great:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/UGREEN-Ethernet-Thunderbolt-Compatible-1000Mbps/dp/B077FVG3F3
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerline-Starter-Homeplug-Internet-Ethernet/dp/B00N8W34SC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=S3EMUFRHTMKC&dchild=1&keywords=devolo+dlan+starter+kit&qid=1605010514&sprefix=devolo+dlan+s%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNzhQSlI1WUtGQlJPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTU1MTYxM1BPQlRITFFWRVZUWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjgxNTk0MkJYWkJIVklIRkhDMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Works well with WhatsApp
Much easier for long conversations than holding phone. Pity the WhatsApp contact list can only be accessed by adding to favourite list.
OMG – thank you FB for creating such a simple and fantastic product as the FB Portal!! It has transformed our life!!
My 86 year old Mom, is deaf and suffers with Vascular Dementia; she resides in a Care Home and we have not been able to visit her since March 2020 when the UK went into lockdown
Purchasing the Portal was the very best thing we did! We speak to her multiple times a day now! Her friends and other relatives are now in regular contact with her and her mental health has improved significantly since she’s been able to see people again.
The quality of the audio and camera is superb. The volume goes really high, so Mom can actually hear us without us having to yell at the top of our voices!
The way the camera follows us around the room is a bonus as she gets to see the dog whom she misses terribly and she does’t miss out on the hustle and bustle of home!
I can’t recommend the Portal highly enough. Everybody should have one! It’s an absolute lifesaver for the elderley.
Worth every penny!
Updated review: Getting better and more versatile with updates.
I bought it so I can communicate with my mother while I’m overseas (she gave up with the iPad almost immediately). And you know what’s it’s great for calling her and she can use it well enoughonce I setup a Facebook account. She talks and the camera tracks her. You just have to be aware of the limitations – no images or text just video and audio. Don’t buy the TV version unless you want low quality video (I have both and the camera on the mini is so much better). One tip is to use the app to control the photoframe function so you can add family photos from a distance.
Software update:
The Portal Mini update has added support for Zoom, Bluejeans and GotoMeeting, plus games and browser. Not Netflix.
The Portal TV update added Netflix, but no new video conferencing apps.
Require around 22Mbs Broadband connectio
When I first got Portal TV, I had 11 Mbps standard broadband, people we video called with same TVportal said the view of us was pixelated or blurred and the sound distorted. Those other people had internet connections of 36 Mbps or above and had no issues. I called Facebook for assistance and they said that 5 Mbps should be sufficient and advised me to check various other parameters on my network. This proved to be a waste of time. I upgraded from standard broadband to fibre which averages at 36 Mbps but often tests as low as 22 Mbps and now we can make video calls without the recipient seeing us as pixelated or blurred. They now see a high definition view of us with sound deterioration.
Really good when video calling with young kids!
Bought this to video call relatives as we live away and I’m happy with it. It’s really handy with young kids (who won’t sit still) as the camera automatically pans and zooms to follow you around the room. It works through Facebook Messenger and/or Instagram and is very quick and easy to set up. There are some good in call features (backgrounds and animated masks, etc) which keep the kids entertained. The reason for 4 stars is the software. Unfortunately there are a few bugs in the software still but all have been fixed by unplugging and plugging back in again. Hopefully this will be fixed soon and certainly wouldn’t put me off purchasing.
Was getting feed up of getting arm ache when our daughter who lives In Australia video called us, sometimes 2 hours holding an iPad so she can see both of us. Now we just sit and relax and chat away, sometimes it freezes a little ,but it’s much better, I panic a bit when it starts ringing to switch things off and switch to the portal.
I’m happy with my purchase.
Staying in touch
Works fine but there is a lack of any instructions. not a simple plug and play.
Perfect for my Mum
Bought this after discovering standard webcams dont work on smart TV’s, it was bought for my mum who is in her 80s and not very tech savy, so she could video chat with relatives on her smart TV. This is perfect as it comes with a remote so he can totally use this herself with a problem.
Set up was very straight forward.
Bought for my very elderly and tech fearing grandma to keep in touch more during Covid19. My Grandma can just about turn the volume up on her tv (no exaggeration) so I was apprehensive about this. Fortunately she has broadband installed as it was no extra cost with her phone package so this was well worth a shot. To say it’s the best thing we’ve done in a long time is an understatement! After a little teething problem setting it up (parental controls on the broadband account stopping it connecting correctly) it’s been a godsend. We set up a blank FB profile to get messenger and then just added the family and friends she wanted to be able to keep in touch with. We just videocall her on messenger and she only has to tap a button on the screen and we’re away! It is nice and loud for her even without hearing aids…she doesnt have to hold it either and can just relax in her chair whilst we chat and the kids do silly things. The camera finds her and moves accordingly which is great because she sometimes nudges the unit a little when answering it (a standard camera would then be pointing at the wall lol). Its capable of more than we use it for but hell, it’s been worth its weight in gold for what function we’ve used.
Couldn't have lived without this during lock-dow
Just before lock-down, our whole family purchased facebook portals. They have been invaluable for us to all stay connected. The unique thing is the way the camera follows you around, so I can cook and chat to my Mum, or do the washing up without having to hold my phone to video call. Also really important as we have a toddler who never stays still, so now I don’t have to follow him around with the phone anymore when video chatting and the call can get us all in the picture at once. Having this hands free way of video calling is so useful and we can chat whilst having dinner. Storytime, the interactive games you can play with each other and the built in Alexa for music (on which the lyrics come up on the screen) are all added bonuses.
Negative points –
– Picture is often not very clear, especially during storytime.
– You can only call people over whatsapp or facebook – not facetime or skype. I think this is why the call connection is sometimes not as good.
– You cannot move the portal from room to room when on a call as it has no built in battery and therefore needs to stay connected to the mains. If you unplug it whilst on a call, the power goes off.
Hate FB but love this.
Not a big fan of Facebook due to their data harvesting and trolling reputation but was persuaded by a friend who uses this regularly to give it a go. On his recommendation I did and it’s got to be said it’s a great system, very easy to set up and use and the video and audio clarity is superb. Due to Facebook’s big brother rep i switch it off at the mains when not in use and use WhatsApp as the connection medium whenever possible. A lot of the negative reviews seem to be either driven by a misunderstanding of how the system operates and it’s regional limitations or the dislike of FB. I have Amazon Prime so do use the Alexa feature but you don’t need an Amazon account the use the Portal, just a Facebook account. The story telling feature and other apps are a great addition to this almost futuristic, but currently very relevant, communication device.
I was a little concerned at some of the negative reviews as I am not that tech savvy. I found the portal very easy to set up , you didn’t need a lot of instructions as some reviews were critical of. Opened a Facebook account got relatives to request as a friend , accepted them and that was it . It was for us that simple . Calls are so clear visually and audibly it’s fabulous . It’s great so glad we made this purchase , we bought for an elderly relative and the Carers do have to accept the call for them by touching the screen but relative can be left chatting to us and when when the call is over we hang up and the call ends on the portal without our relative having to do anything . Very positive experience .
Fabulous
Bought one for family in Australia for Xmas, had to purchase one when we got home as loved it so much. Can see whole family on tv screen, feels like we are all together.
Would highly recommend, very easy to use. Haven’t use additional facilities like story time yet as grandchildren are very small, but will as they grow.
This was bought for a specific purpose – to allow our Dad to facetime with us while he was unable to have visitors in the nursing home. We set up a Facebook account for him and set it up on the device, but then were at the mercy of the nursing home staff setting it up on their WiFi, but thankfully they managed to sort it out. Dad needed some help to make and answer calls to start with, but within a few days was able to use it without help. As he has some speech and comprehension problems it really helps for us to be able to see each other. He loves it when the grandchildren pop onto the screen too. Photos we have uploaded onto his Facebook account scroll on the screen when it isn’t being used to make calls. For most tech savvy people, they may find the Portal too much of a one trick pony, but for my Dad it has been ideal and I’m sure it is helping him feel less isolated.
I’d recommend this
Well, we’re in lockdown so this is brilliant! I get to talk to my nephew and nice while I can’t visit them. Sound and vision are fine. Setting up a 2nd person was a bit of a bind, but I got it working eventually. You can have favourites and have WhatsApp as well as messenger. I don’t have Alexa, but you can use that too.
Bought for my mum as she is socially isolating. We had provided her with smartphone so we could keep in touch with her via whatsapp video. She was getting on ok with it but we thought would be nicer if she had a bigger screen to view. It was very easy to set up with her WhatsApp account. She doesnt have and didn’t need a facebook account. Also set up amazon so she could use Alexa on it. I just followed requests on touch screen. WhatsApp is really easy for her to use and she has even used Alexa to find out news and weather forecast.
If you want to keep in touch with someone video whatsapp I would definitely recommend.
I have two sets of parents who live hundreds of miles away, both in their 70’s. They are on WhatsApp but not Facebook. We got a Portal TV for each of them and one for ourselves after we had to cancel a visit (due to Covid-19 outbreak). We wanted to stay in touch whilst they went into self-isolation.
I had to talk them through the set up (they are not that tech-savvy) but once it was all ready to go, the results are amazing. We can now have “living room to living room” group chats, they see the grandkids in the room, we can talk without holding a screen up to our face – the camera follows us around which is one of the best features.
The sound quality is OK – the main issue is if you need to turn the volume up on the TV then it can echo a little. Perhaps there is a better position but we’ve got ours on the TV cabinet below rather than mounted on the TV itself.
All in all, I am so happy I got these when I did as it will help prevent the potential feelings of isolation during these crazy times.
Delivers the goods.
This delivers the goods when it comes to keeping in contact with distant friends and family. Easy to set up, and even easier to use, this is the next best thing to being in the room with the grandchildren. In fact, it’s even better, since their parents can’t nip out to the pub for the evening, leaving you to babysit the little darlings.
Like being in the same room
A little bit glitchy sometimes, but on the whole a lot better than holding a phone. It is great for talking to friends and relatives abroad, it is like being in the same room.
Since Skype was removed from my Panasonic TV we have had problemsems contacting Family & friends. But now we have the Facebook portal we are back online again.. Setup was easy, if long winded, and can now speak to anyone with a portal or a smartphone, iPad or a laptop..
There are other features that you might find useful but at the moment we are happy .
I bought two of these, one for my parents and one for myself. I paid 150 for two of these, one for my parents and one for my home. We are very pleased with this and it is a big improvement over other options I have tried including:
Skype on TV built in webcam (Skype has now been discontinued)
Connecting laptop with Skye camera to the TV (have to arrange call beforehand so it’s all setup)
Windows stick PC that plus into the HDMI socket with USB web cam (painfully slow to use and subject to annoying Windows updates when you want to use it)
Mobile phone connected to TV with Chromecast (sound comes through the phone speaker and requires something to hold the phone in place so the camera is pointing in the right direction)
Raspberry Pi connected to TV with webcam (video worked but sound didn’t)
I think this is really the only option that works well on the TV.
The Portal TV was relatively easy to setup, although my Mum was unable to get it working with WhatsApp, but I had no problem with this.
Video and sound quality are good, although I wish the video quality was higher definition. Occasionally you do get some audio feedback where you can hear an echo of yourself. It seems to help if the other end turns their sound down a little. However, this has been an issue with everything else I’ve tried so far.
One great feature that works really well is how the camera keeps people in the frame. This makes a big difference to the call, and makes it feel much more intimate.
There are a lot of visual effects that can be applied which are a lot of fun for children but will probably not use much in the long run.
Overall very happy with this and would recommend for anyone wanting video calls over the TV.
Wanted a way to speak with my daughter in Australia using the TV or projector screen. And found this.
Read a few reviews and thought it was worth a punt. The worst that was going to happen was a return to Amazon.
Luckily, there has been no need. It’s a great gadget. Makes speaking through video very easy and relaxed. The microphones are excellent. The sound quality is excellent.
All in all, it is excellent! Would highly recommend buying.
Massive screen
Very easy to setup and to use.
Video tracking is very good. Zooming in and out and tracking u walk around the room
Messenger and WhatsApp
The only thing negative is that if you setup to English uk language you can’t use the portal voice commands But Alexa works perfect
But if you change to English / Canada language then portal voice commands work but the Alexa speaks in a American sound and doesn’t always understand what u are saying. So I keep mine on English uk language and do not use the portal commands. But I am sure it will all work together soon
I can ask Alexa to show me my front door camera with no problems.
Play my prime Alexa music
Etc
So very good but I’m sure it will get even better as early days
You can calll your own portal from your phone just download the app
The setup is really easy, a download took about 15 and that was the only real slow down, once it’s up and running you’re connected to your Facebook account and then your WhatsApp account in about 2 minutes.
The calls themselves are really good, very high quality sound and video, my camera is a good 15ft from my sofa and it still provides great pictures the other end and even that far from the mic, the people I’m calling can hear me perfectly. It’s panning and auto-zoom works really well too.
If I wanted to improve it, I’d like to be able to manually control the zoom a bit more, regardless, I’m very happy with this.
We have bought a 4 of these now to give to family members as they are so good. Picture and audio are really good, you can focus and zoom onto individual people so that anyone in the room that dose not want to be seen will not be on the camera. The tracking feature is very impressive and pans around the room to fit all people into frame or just the people who it’s focused on. There is a lens cover and also a button that turns the camera and mic off completely which gives you peace of mind for privacy. There is also the AR feature that is quite fun, allowing you to change your face, put hats and glasses on and changes your voice etc…. and also an interactive story mode that puts you as the centre of the story.
It is easy to set up as well and easy to understand how to use it.
Altogether an amazing bit of kit, we are really impressed with the product and so far been using it on a daily basis.
I wanted a device that would enable me to make WhatsApp video calls using my TV as the local display, and this box does that extremely well.
The unit itself feels solid, weighty and very well made. Using the built-in clips, it sits securely atop my Samsung flat screen TV, and the power cable is impressively long. They know the box is likely to be placed on top of a TV, so could be some distance away from the nearest power socket, so that attention to detail is really appreciated and unexpected – I expected to need an extension lead, but didn’t.
I was a little frustrated that the box spent over an hour updating itself before I could actually start using it. It said the software update may take about 15 minutes, but ended up taking very nearly a full hour. It then rebooted, at which point I thought I’d be able to start playing with my new toy, but no such luck. It then started updating the remote control, which took a further 3-4 minutes, taking the total update time to over an hour. Only then could I start setting the box up.
It’s a pity the box is WiFi only, as using a wired connection would have been more convenient (no need to enter a WiFi Key) and probably would have sped up the update process.
Once I finally managed to start the setup process, this was really easy and intuitive, and only took a few minutes.
One slight annoyance is that the on-screen keyboards are not QWERTY – the “keys” are arranged alphabetically, which I found awkward.
During the setup process, I was offered a full-screen view of my own camera, so I could position the camera and play with the tracking feature and see what the picture was like. It would be nice to be able to recall this feature after initial setup, especially if I want to move the box to a new position, but I couldn’t see any option to.
My first call was a WhatsApp call to my mum, who has a fairly old Android phone.
The picture quality is very good, even in a fairly dimly-lit room, and the video tracking works extremely well – actually far better than I had expected! If you move to the other side of the room, sit down, stand up, do a dance, whatever, it follows you flawlessly.
When the other person turned their phone on its side, the picture filled the TV screen my end, and my picture flipped to horizontal and filled the screen their end as well – perfect!
Audio quality was crystal clear both ends. The call audio comes through the TV speakers, but there is also a speaker built into the box itself. This emits the ringing signal, even when the call is being initiated from my end, which seems a bit weird.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the volume buttons on the Portal remote adjusted the volume on my TV – how it knew how to control my TV is a mystery because I never told it, but it worked somehow!
My second call was another WhatsApp call, this time to a contact who has a new iPhone XR. Sadly, on this call, when they turned their phone sideways, while their picture flipped and filled my TV screen, my picture remained vertical and displayed as a pillarbox on their end. That was disappointing, but no doubt a bug that will be sorted out at some point. We flipped back and forth several times, but could not make the Portal box flip its image to horizontal.
I then tried a Facebook Messenger call to the same contact, and that worked much better – when they turned their phone to horizontal, both pictures flipped to horizontal so we had full screen both ends.
I have yet to try a Portal to Portal call, but I have no reason to doubt that this will work well.
This box’s primary function is to make video calls via a TV, and that job it does very well. I didn’t try any of the other features because, frankly, I couldn’t care less about them. Hopefully the landscape orientation bug will be sorted out in a future software version, then it’ll be perfect.
UPDATE – April 2020:
Since I bought the Portal TV around 5 months ago, the software has been updated.
The inset picture from your own camera is now placed in the bottom right corner of the screen instead of the top left, which is better, but I would still prefer an option to choose which corner to put the picture.
There is now an option to force portrait/landscape orientation, so even though the automatic switching still doesn’t work reliably, this can be manually overridden to provide a full-screen picture both ends.
There is still no option to check the picture from your own camera without starting a video call to someone, but I have discovered that if you go into the “Photo Booth” app from the home screen, you can see what your camera is seeing locally without starting a call.
WhatsApp does not work reliably. Incoming calls frequently don’t “ring” on the Portal, and after a period of time the Portal TV will stop working altogether with WhatsApp, complaining that my phone is not connected to the Internet (it is). You then have to delete your WhatsApp account from the Portal (which triggers a confirmation code sent to WhatsApp your phone, demonstrating that it really is connected!) and then re-add it again. Of course, this loses hidden contacts list, so you have to set this up again. I’ve since given up on WhatsApp, and now just use the Portal TV for Facebook calls, which seem to be much more reliable.
Portal-to-Portal Facebook calls work brilliantly, and the picture quality is excellent.
I have tried out the Alexa functionality, and this seems to work as you would expect, but it’s not a feature I use regularly.
Very easy set up, got one for us and one for parents in late 60s so they can stay involved with new baby. Very easy to pair with Messenger / WhatsApp, even those who don’t have the system we’re impressed with what they experienced on phones alone. The tech is impressive, automatically locks onto faces / voices, smoothly pans / zooms, ideal for moving about with crying / feeding baby. Will be used for feeding and bathing times, also perfect for Christmas day. Ignore the haters/tinfoil hat wearers. Ideal for far apart friends and family
I found speaking to relatives in Australia brilliant. Would wholeheartedly recommend this
Absolutely brilliant – bought two and just had a family call to try it out – no one could speak for laughing so much