After Portal
Facebook Portal alternatives for family video calls
The main alternatives to Facebook Portal are smart displays with a camera, a tablet on a stand, and a camera on the family TV with a calling app, which is the closest thing to the old Portal TV. Meta stopped selling Portal at the end of 2022, so here is how to choose a replacement for your family.
Updated October 26, 2026
What happened to Portal
Portal is no longer sold. Existing ones still make calls, for now.
Facebook launched Portal in 2018 as a video calling device for the home. The line grew to include the larger Portal+, the battery-powered Portal Go, and Portal TV, a camera that sat on top of a television. Many families bought one so grandparents could see the grandkids without fiddling with a phone.
In June 2022, MobileSyrup reported, citing The Information, that Meta would stop making consumer versions. Meta's own Portal support page now says Portal "hasn't been available for purchase since December 31, 2022." It also says owners can keep using their Portal and still call family and friends, but that experiences and apps will be gradually discontinued, no new features are coming, and there will be no next-generation model.
So if your parents have a Portal that still works, there is no need to panic. But if you are buying for someone new, or planning for the day it stops doing what you need, it is worth picking a replacement now.
What to look for
What made Portal work for families, and what to keep
A wide view of the room
Portal's cameras were known for keeping people in frame as they moved. Whatever you choose, make sure it can show a whole family on a couch, not just one face.
A big enough screen
Grandparents need to see small faces clearly. The bigger the screen, the more a call feels like a visit.
Easy to answer
One clear action to pick up. Every extra step is a missed call.
Only family can call
A device in a parent's living room should only ring for people you trust.
Photos between calls
Many families loved Portal as a photo frame. Shared family photos keep grandparents part of the week.
Privacy you are comfortable with
Look at who can call, whether calls are encrypted, whether there are ads, and what happens to your family's information.
Side by side
Portal alternatives compared
| Alternative | How family calls work | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart display with a camera (for example, Amazon Echo Show) | Amazon says family members set as contacts in the Alexa app can use Echo Show's Drop In and video calling features | Kitchens and bedsides; families already using Alexa | Screen is smaller than a TV; each person needs the matching app |
| Tablet on a stand | Any video calling app on the tablet | Flexible use, carried room to room | Needs charging; someone has to open the app and answer by touch |
| Phone video calls | Any calling app the family already uses | Quick calls on the go | Small screen; someone has to hold it; hard to fit a whole family |
| Camera on the TV with a calling app | Family calls the TV; the person at home answers with the remote | Living rooms, whole-family calls, grandparents | Needs a supported TV and a camera; one-time setup |
If your family used Portal TV, the TV option is the closest match: a camera on top of the TV the family already watches.
Making the switch
How to replace a Portal without losing the habit
- 1
Think about where calls happen
If grandma took Portal calls in the kitchen, a smart display might suit her. If she watched the family on Portal TV from her armchair, look at TV options.
- 2
Check what the person at home already uses
A TV she already knows, a tablet she already charges, an assistant she already talks to. Building on a habit beats teaching a new one.
- 3
Get everyone on the same service
Every family member who calls needs the matching app or website. Set it up for the whole family at once so nobody gets left out.
- 4
Move the photos over
If Portal was also the family photo frame, pick a replacement that can show shared photos, and ask everyone to start sending again.
- 5
Run both for a while
If the Portal still works, keep it plugged in until the new setup feels normal. Then retire it.
The TV option
FamilyView: the family TV, ringing again
FamilyView turns a Samsung smart TV (2022 models and newer) into a family video phone with the Samsung Slim Fit Cam, a camera of about $100 that clips onto the top of the TV and plugs into USB. The camera belongs to you and works with the TV's other apps too. FamilyView is an app, not a box: nothing to rent, nothing to return.
Family calls the TV from the FamilyView Android app or any web browser at familyviewtv.com. The TV rings and the person at home presses OK on the remote. The whole room is in the picture, and nobody holds anything. Two homes with FamilyView can call TV to TV. Every family member has a tile with a Call button, so calls go both ways.
Like the Portal photo frame, photos the family shares from their phones land on the TV, and the TV becomes a slideshow of family photos when idle. Video messages up to 2 minutes play full screen.
Only family members can call. One-to-one video calls are end-to-end encrypted, there are no ads, and nothing about your family is sold. FamilyView is coming to the Samsung TV app store. The Family plan, with calls to the TV, is $14.99 a month for the whole family, and Multi-House covers up to 4 households for $34.99 a month. Every paid plan is month to month, with no contract. See FamilyView on Samsung TVs, for families, or pricing.
Portal questions people ask
Is Facebook Portal discontinued?
Yes. Meta's support page says Portal has not been available for purchase since December 31, 2022, and that there will be no next-generation model.
Does my Portal still work?
Meta says owners can keep using Portal and can still call family and friends, but experiences and apps will be gradually discontinued and no new features are coming.
What is the best replacement for Portal TV?
A camera on top of the TV with a calling app is the closest match. On Samsung smart TVs from 2022 on, the Samsung Slim Fit Cam with FamilyView turns the TV into the family video phone.
What is the best Portal alternative for elderly parents?
The one with the fewest steps to answer and the biggest screen they already use. For many parents that is the TV, answered with the remote.
Can I still buy a Portal?
Not new from Meta. Meta says it stopped selling Portal at the end of 2022, and that some experiences advertised by other sellers may already be discontinued.
Sources
- Meta Help Center: Support for Meta Portal devices, not for sale since December 31, 2022; calling still works; apps gradually discontinued; no next-generation model
- MobileSyrup: Meta is discontinuing all consumer versions of its Portal smart display (June 10, 2022), report citing The Information
- Wikipedia: Meta Portal, launch in 2018 and the Portal+, Portal TV and Portal Go models
- About Amazon: How to stay connected with grandparents using Echo Show, Drop In and video calling for family contacts
- Samsung US: Slim Fit Camera, the TV camera and its US price
Keep the family calls going.
Start free, pair the TV with a short code, and pick up the Sunday calls right where Portal left off. Cancel anytime.