Thursday 31 October 2013

Facebook details Messenger app update, plans to take on other messaging apps

Facebook’s Messenger app on your Android devices is soon going to get a major update, which will bring host of visual improvements and several under the hood changes as well as new features.

According to Facebook, the Messenger app on Android is no longer an iOS app visually ported to Android. The updated version of Messenger has been made for Android while keeping in the mind the Android design guidelines. There are many visual improvements, as you can see in the images embedded in this report.

In addition to the many visual improvements, the updated Messenger app will now allow users to send messages to other Messenger users without the need for them to be Facebook friends. There is a necessary requirement for this though; both the users need to have each other’s phone number in their address book.  Messenger will be verify your phone number at the first use after the update and scan your address book to add all the people who are in your address book and also have you in their address book even if they are not friends with you on Facebook.

Messenger app will also now clearly show, which of your contacts are live from Desktop or Messenger app. Facebook is also removing the earlier introduced SMS integration from Messenger app, which as per the company has not taken off.

The redesigned Messenger app is being tested with a random group of Android users since Tuesday and will be available to everyone “in the coming weeks.”

Facebook seems to have realized that there is no point in sitting on the sidelines while apps like Whatsapp, Line or Kik continue to rake in millions of mobile users with their simple messaging apps.

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