Facebook has announced that augmented reality effects can now be used by each participant in a Messenger Room or on a Messenger video call. The company calls these AR experiences "Group Effects," which will become more robust in coming months after Facebook expands access to the Spark AR Multipeer API. With this, more developers and creators will be able to make their own Group Effects.
The system known as Facebook Messenger has now been around for 10 years. The folks behind the Messenger app and "Messaging Products" at Facebook reminded the world this week that the behind-the-scenes sending of text and media has been available to the public for a full decade this week - it's a birthday! As such, the company is using the opportunity to launch some new features and attempt to keep all of your family members in the fold.
Facebook has rolled out a new library of emojis for its messaging app that adds a new layer of expression to the commonly-used images: sound effects. Facebook calls these Soundmoji, explaining that when selected, the recipient will not only see the emoji but also hear a related sound, including everything from clapping and chirping crickets to sound bites from TV shows.