Staying connected with Portal from Facebook

This is an advertorial post with Facebook and Britmums. I have been compensated for my time. 

Growing up I was always close to my Grandparents, seeing them as often as possible and making memories which I treasure even more now all but one of my Grandparents is no longer with us. And so when I had children it was important they had the same bond as I did which, living just a couple of roads away, really wasn’t that difficult!

Over the years as both Gaz’s and my parents retired, they have spent an increasing amount of time abroad chasing the warmer weather, enjoying a slower pace of life, and enjoying some much deserved time to themselves. And whilst I am so happy for my parents that they are able to do this, I know that during the Winter when they are away for six weeks at a time, the children miss them terribly.

Staying in touch is far easier these days in terms of mobile phones and Skype calls and yet both can be difficult to accommodate when you have four children, all vying for their grandparents attention, whilst I’m juggling making the dinner or practicing the children’s reading, holding an iPad in one hand and a wooden spoon in the next. As a result our video calls are chaotic, stressful, and far shorter than my parents would hope!

And I guess this is where Portal from Facebook comes in, saving the day with the most incredible range of hands-free products which not only allow you to enjoy video calls, but to go about your daily life in the home, chatting, sharing videos, reading stories, and feeling as though, despite the distance, your loved ones are right there with you in the same room.

A few weeks ago I travelled down to London to meet the Facebook team, try out the products, and take two of Portal devices home for us to use as a family. I’ll be honest with you, at that point I knew very little about Portal from Facebook and I was quite sceptical as to how this device was any different from my mobile phone. What we learned there, over the most delicious intimate breakfast setting, just about blew my mind!!

Portal offers four different devices – Portal TV, Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal + and you can make calls from one Portal to another via WhatsApp or Facebook messenger or, even if you don’t have a Portal, you can still experience video calls on a non-Portal device to and from a Portal.. We were kindly gifted a Portal (10inch HD display) and a Portal Mini (8inch HD display) to give to someone we wanted to connect with which, in our case, was our parents. We’ve been using it for the last couple of weeks and enjoying some of the key features. 

Video Calling

The video calling experience with Portal from Facebook is a world away from what I’ve been used to on my phone. It uses an AI-powered Smart Camera which pans and zooms automatically so you can move around the room and always stay in the frame. The wide angle lens means all of the children can be in the shot without anyone pushing for prime spot in front of the camera, saving me a whole lot of trouble listening to them argue! 

It also means that when the Portal is set up, the children can share special moments with their grandparents such as performing their latest dances, showing off new toys, and talking about their day. They love seeing what their grandparents are up to in the sunshine too, especially seeing views of the pool and the beach off the balcony even if it makes us all green with envy! 

AR Experiences 

Portal offers so many fun features but the children particularly love the AR masks, where they can choose crazy faces or hats, even voice-changing functions, to be as silly as possible. Our absolute favourite feature is Story Time, where they can read a story to their grandparents or have them read a story in return, and thanks to AR, they appear as the characters they are reading about. 

I know my parents miss so many moments whilst they are away and being able to read the children a story before bed is such a wonderful bonus. And for the children, always keen to show off their reading skills, reading stories back to them is great practice and a lot of fun! 

Amazon Alexa 

I love that Portal from Facebook also works as an Amazon Alexa giving you access to Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio and thousands of features hands-free. The children adore Alexa and will never tire of having conversations with her, particularly asking her to tell them a joke! 

Superframe 

As someone who loves to take and display photos, I love that the Portal’s Superframe mode allows you to link your Instagram or Facebook account and stream your photographs when the device is not in use. With such a stylish design, our Portal looks just like a regular digital photo frame and I can enjoy all of our photos as I sit and work. 

Powerful Audio  

The powerful built-in stereo speakers are great, especially when you have a large family like we do trying to hold a conversation! I love that when the children are in the lounge talking to my parents and I’m through in the kitchen, I can still hear every word and even join in the conversation. Using the Portal for listening to music is great too. No matter where I am in the house, I can hear my favourite tunes, which takes the boredom out of cleaning! 

Privacy functions  

One of the biggest concerns for me was the privacy functions, as I know there has been a lot said about privacy online of late. I love that the settings on Portal are so straightforward, with a touch screen menu and easy-to-use controls. It means that choosing your privacy and security settings is easy, and for extra reassurance you can physically disable the camera and microphone with a single tap or a sliding switch. I love that the switch actually covers the camera lens so there really are no worries about accidentally leaving it switched on. Slide it one more notch and the camera and microphone are physically disengaged, so no being heard or observed whilst you’re in your home when you don’t want to be! 

The Verdict? 

It’s safe to say I am absolutely loving Portal from Facebook. It’s made a huge difference to the way we connect with family and friends. Just last week I had an hour–long chat with a friend whilst I blitzed my kitchen, and this weekend the children were able to spend two hours chatting with their grandparents who were at their home in Spain. I love how easily it slots into our daily lives so connecting with loved ones is just part of our daily routine as opposed to a snatched ten minutes as and when we can find a quiet moment. 

If you’re thinking about what to buy a loved one this Christmas, Portal from Facebook would genuinely be right at the top of my list. What better present can you  give than the gift of time, even if you’re at complete opposite ends of the world. One thing’s for sure, regardless of how many times my parents decide to gallivant abroad from now on, there will always be time to stay connected and make memories to treasure.