Meta's (formerly Facebook's) video-calling smart display, launched in 2018 at $199 for the 10-inch Portal and $349 for the 15.6-inch Portal+, with a camera that pans and zooms to keep people in frame. Meta stopped making it for consumers in 2022 and has since switched off Alexa, its own voice assistant, Spotify and Zoom, leaving mainly Messenger and WhatsApp calling.
This entry is written from the 5 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
The pattern in the sources is regret. Only 30% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction falls from 7.8 to 4.0 out of 10 by the two-year mark.
Families kept using it for easy auto-framed video calls and as a photo frame, though its apps and smart features were always thin. The regret builds over years as Meta abandoned it and removed Alexa, voice control, music and Zoom, shrinking it to a calling screen.
Alexa and the built-in assistant were shut off in January 2025. Spotify, Deezer, Zoom and the companion app were withdrawn. No compensation for losing advertised features.
Worth it for: Grandparents who only need video calls; Families already on messenger or whatsapp. Think twice if: Smart home control; Privacy-conscious households; Music streaming.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 7.8 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 7.8 / 10 |
| One month | 7.5 / 10 |
| Six months | 7.2 / 10 |
| One year | 7.0 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 4.0 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
Lists $199 and $349 prices, praises the 140-degree tracking camera and loud speakers, but flags privacy concerns, clumsy apps and confusing dual voice assistants.
Strong video calls and smooth face tracking, but calls were Messenger-only at launch, smart home and app support was limited and the reviewers would not recommend it over rival smart displays.
February 2025 report that Alexa and Portal's assistant were turned off on January 31, 2025, Spotify and Deezer end by April 4, 2025 and Zoom is gone, while Messenger and WhatsApp still work.
A March 2025 owner post says Hey Portal, Alexa and smart home integrations were removed with no alternative or compensation, reducing it to a video-calling screen.
A longtime owner praises its stability, speaker and photo-frame use, but notes the mobile app was discontinued and the device is being phased out, with calling supported until late 2031.