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In an attempt to further build on engagement using its avatar feature, Meta has launched a new functionality that allows users to appear on video calls as their avatar characters, on Instagram and Messenger.

 

“Sometimes, we’re just not camera-ready,” says Meta explaining how using your Meta avatar in place of your own video can be a great way to interact on video calls without having to worry about your appearance. The avatars on video calls will work by responding to and following users’ facial moves.

 

Meta Launches a New ‘Real-Time Avatar Call’ Functionality on Instagram and Messenger

 


As a way of welcoming the Lunar New Year, Meta has added a bunch of new tools to Messenger, including themed stickers, AR effects, and updated 3D avatar tools.

 

The new stickers feature a range of adorable tiger animations, as this Lunar Year is the Year of the Tiger, while the new AR effect has been designed to show the group Lion Dance.

 

Meta Updates Messenger with New Tools Designed for the Lunar New Year

 


Among a bunch of new tools that Facebook has announced recently for Messenger and Instagram Direct, there is one that enables group discussions between the two apps, a set of new group typing indicators, and the option of polls in Instagram Direct.

 


The most prominent addition is that of the Cross-App Messaging feature that Facebook had announced last year. With cross-app messaging, users will be able to engage in group chats between their Instagram and Messenger contacts. This is an extended version of the existing option to have individual chats across the two apps, which was launched last September. Facebook also plans to later include WhatsApp within this messaging integration system.

Facebook Announces New Features for IG Direct and Messenger, Including Cross-App Messaging

Facebook tests to switch Voice and Video Calling feature back to the main app

Facebook launched its dedicated application i.e., Messenger solely for communication purposes with your Facebook friends. By 2014, the Messenger app was integrated with Voice and Video Calling feature. However, a couple of users in different countries including the USA have observed the feature of making Voice or Video calls directly via Facebook’s main app.

This reveals that Facebook is currently testing to bring the Voice and Video Calling option back to the main app, preventing the users from swapping between the two apps. Initially, Facebook was a single app where chatting was also done until the launch of Messenger.

Facebook tests to switch Voice and Video Calling feature back to the main app

 


Facebook has introduced some new features in the Messenger app for emojis and reactions, and new chat background options.

 

You will now see a newly added emoji search bar in your Messenger chats, at the top of the panel where reaction options are displayed. In the emoji search bar, you can quickly search for the desired emoji to send in your chat. You can simply type the name of the emoji that you’re looking for, for instance “heart”, and the heart emojis will appear.

 

Facebook Brings New Messenger Features Including Quick Access to Emojis and Space Themed Background

 


Facebook is implementing its new end-to-end encryption policy for messages across all of its messaging services. The company announced its plan in an overview of its recent virtual workshop held with experts in privacy, safety, human rights, and consumer protection.

 

According to Facebook, it is bringing end-to-end encryption for messages as a way to protect users’ private messages. “While we expect to make more progress on default end-to-end encryption for Messenger and Instagram Direct this year, it’s a long-term project and we won’t be fully end-to-end encrypted until sometime in 2022 at the earliest," the company added.

 

However, various concerns have been raised by some authorities in regard to Facebook’s plan. The most significant concern is that this privacy method can be used to hide criminal activity, as it can prevent authorities from tracking illegal exchanges.

Facebook Decides to Implement End-to-End Encryption Policy for its Messaging Tools

Giant social media apps faces outages in various countries

Social media applications like Facebook, Messenger and Instagram are the go-to applications for people all around the globe. These applications are a source of entertainment, work, and knowledge for several people. With billions of daily active users on these platforms, outages on such apps will drive the users crazy. A large number of users have been reporting glitches and trouble using Instagram, Messenger and Facebook today. Most of the complains were from European countries but other countries, including the Philippines and Australia, reported similar issues as well.

Giant social media apps faces outages in various countries



Facebook has rolled out a new feature called Vanish Mode for Messenger and Instagram. With this messaging option, you can send messages including texts, photos, voice recordings, emojis, and stickers that will disappear once the recipient views them and the chat window is closed.  


Vanish Mode was first announced in September and Facebook is slowly rolling it out to some users who can see it in their chat settings on Messenger. The option can be turned on or off and is available for one-on-one chats only for now.  


Moreover, the mode is opt-in, which means that if it has been activated by another user in the chat, you have no choice but to enter it as well. Notifications of screenshots will also be sent to users in case a screenshot of the chat is taken while the mode is enabled.  


Another similar feature of secret conversation mode already exists in Messenger, that lets you enter an end-to-end encrypted chat that’s saved only on your device. 

Facebook Releases ‘Vanish Mode’ for Messenger and Instagram Chats

Instagram bypasses Facebook messenger to introduce its room feature

The latest report from Alessandro Paluzzi says that Instagram users will no longer be using the platform of the Facebook messenger to avail the feature of Room instead, they will easily be directed to the Room without copy any sort of link. Where a huge proportion of people favor the exclusion of Facebook Messenger from the WhatsApp room feature, there is also quite a buzz among them regarding the safety of the Instagram Room feature and how it will work. Since many people believe that WhatsApp beta is a better and more secure way to get to the room through messenger, there are also quite a few that will happily switch to Instagram because it is the easy way out.

Instagram bypasses Facebook messenger to introduce its room feature


With Halloween approaching, Facebook has got some unique Halloween features for users on Messenger that work with visual effects. To be exact, users can enjoy augmented reality filters on Messenger, with which they can virtually dress up for Halloween. 


Video calls on Messenger can be enjoyed with a 360-degree Halloween-themed background, giving off a realistically frightening look. Other than that, a bunch of Halloween stickers will also be available.  


The 360-degree background was already a feature for Messenger video calls and the AR features have been available for some time too. 

Facebook Introduces Halloween AR Features and 360 Degree Backgrounds to Messenger

Facebook connects its Messenger and Instagram Direct Messages

Facebook announced its new upcoming cross messaging feature that will integrate Messenger and Instagram DM. It gets pretty difficult for the users to find a particular conversation with a vast variety of messaging options available, said by Facebook. Hence, in order to eliminate the confusion and make messaging super convenient for the users, Facebook is planning to join the platforms and make a single place to have all the conversations there.

Facebook wants its Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct Messages connected to that every thread stays in one place, and people can send a message from one platform to another from a single place, even if they don’t have every app downloaded. This feature will ultimately make Facebook the leader in the global messaging world. Along with leadership, a vast number of opportunities will also be made available for e-Commerce and marketing.

Facebook connects its Messenger and Instagram Direct Messages



Facebook is making its payment processes easier and simpler for both Facebook and Instagram users to enhance their purchase experience based on posts and ads on all the Facebook apps. For this purpose, the social media company is introducing a new Accounts Centre option, which it will roll out for testing this week. 


 

The Accounts Centre will serve as a central point where users can connect their Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram accounts, which will save them from the hassle of separately logging in to each of their accounts when making purchases. 

 



There will be three types of account linking options available in the Accounts Centre: Story and Post Sharing, Facebook Pay Info, and Logging in Across Accounts.  


 

The Story and Post Sharing Option will allow users to cross-share their Stories across the apps. With Facebook Pay Info, users can authorize their payments via their linked Facebook Pay details from the main Facebook account. And lastly, by choosing to log in across accounts, users can easily log in to a separate account from Facebook, without having to re-enter the log-in details. 

Facebook Introduces ‘'Accounts Centre’' to Help Link Accounts and Make Purchases Processes Easier

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