Messenger

Uncertain and desperate times bring out the best and the worst of people. While there will always be those who will go out of their way to be humanity's brightest stars, there are others that exemplify mankind's biggest weaknesses. While we always need to be on guard against such malicious agents, it's not always possible to defend one's self against more cunning individuals. That's why Facebook is applying a dash of machine learning to give Messenger users a bit of confidence or at least warn them if something is a miss.

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In late April, Facebook introduced Messenger Rooms, a new video chatting feature that enables up to 50 people to participate in the same group call. The feature was introduced as demand for video messaging services has skyrocketed, joining Skype, Zoom, and other similar platforms. The latest WhatsApp beta adds an integration with this feature.

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Facebook has a bitmoji-like system ready to roll in the USA starting today called Facebook Avatars. They'll be delivering this system via Facebook in Messenger and in the Messenger app and webpage. If you're using Messenger anywhere, right now, you'll likely have access now or very soon. If this system is everything we've been told so far, there's little reason why Facebook wouldn't use Niantic's Pokemon GO system of accessory sales for users of all sorts in the very near future.

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The importance of a good brand name is important to the highest degree, especially when it comes to marketing at times of extreme stress. Over the past few weeks, during an unprecedented global event (COVID-19 pandemic, that is to say), the name "ZOOM" became synonymous with simple, one-tap video conferencing. Google's got the capacity, technology, and knowledge to make a video conferencing system rivaling that of Zoom, but until now, they didn't have the right brand.

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Facebook released free-to-use Messenger Rooms, allowing multiple people to do video chat in a single array of windows at one time. Using this platform is relatively simple if all users already have a Facebook account and/or a Facebook Messenger account, allowing a potentially quick adoption by masses of users in the very near future. This is clearly Facebook's as-fast-as-possible reaction to the sweeping popularity of systems like Zoom - and other video chatroom platforms - in the wake of COVID-19, global pandemic, and remote working during quarantine.

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The Facebook app "Messenger Kids" released several feature updates as well as a news alert that they'd expanded service to a number of new regions. They've suggested that they've responded to parent requests for updates, that they've brought software changes according to recommendations from their "Youth Advisers" and important people in child-related leadership roles. But it's still a social networking app run by Facebook whose most likely ultimate goal is to bring new users into the fold.

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Facebook has launched its sixth reaction emoji with availability on both the main Facebook platform and on the Messenger app. With this new emoji, users can better express that they care -- the character shows a smiling face that is hugging a bright pink heart. The reaction emoji joins the previous reactions, including the laughing face, angry face, thumbs up, sad face, and heart.

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We are now living in times when connecting with friends, sometimes even family, has to happen virtually over the Internet. At the same time, we are also living in times when we have to be careful about the things we touch and put to our faces. In other words, smartphones are both tools for communication as well as health liabilities. Facebook's internal R&D team might have the answer and it involves an Apple Watch and a new experimental app called Kit.

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A Facebook Messenger app was released this week for group chats between Facebook users. Users could've done video chat before now, with Messenger from Facebook, but this app makes the entire process feel a bit more official. This release comes just as the app Zoom sees a massive increase in use thanks to quarantine for global pandemic thanks to COVID-19.*

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Following the launch of its COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook comes a similar offering in Messenger: the new Coronavirus Community Hub. With this, Facebook Messenger users can access information related to the pandemic directly in the chatting app, including resources from government health organizations. These groups will be able to provide users with immediate automated responses to coronavirus questions and more.

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Facebook spun off its instant messaging functionality into its own app so that it could grow and evolve on its own. That did happen but, unfortunately, the app also grew in size and complexity that rivaled the main Facebook app, and not in a good way. The social media giant has recently been working to keep that overgrowth in check, mostly by producing "Lite" versions of its apps. Now it's bringing all of those lessons back to the main Messenger app on iOS that is promised to be leaner and simpler, at least on the inside.

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Years ago, Facebook emphasized the reality of bots in its Messenger app and added a then-new tab called Discover that made it easier for users to find these bots. As well, the Discover tab was used to find businesses and nearby places to message, both of which were also heavily emphasized in the app. This has changed with a recent update that quietly scrubs the tab altogether.

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