Facebook's Messenger app has slowly evolved out of Facebook chat into its own independent beast. Nifty new features are frequently added, but they can sometimes be overlooked. Facebook is currently testing two new features, so read on to keep abreast of the latest Facebook Messenger update news.
March 9, 2016 - Facebook Messenger has received Material Design, first introduced with Android Lollipop. This comes from a Tweet from David Marcus, the head of Facebook Messenger.
The user experience will not be affected as this is a purely cosmetic update. The blue bars at the top of the screen have a cleaner look. There is more space in the app which gives it a roomier feel. There is a new blue plus button that will serve as a way to start a new conversation. You can see the new design below.
February 11, 2016 - Facebook has begun testing some very notable new additions to Facebook Messenger, the first in some time.
The first new feature follows closely in the footsteps of Messenger's photo-sharing sister, Instagram. Multiple account support means that your friends can use your phone to check their Facebook messages, and people who use the social networking platform for work purposes will be able to switch between professional and personal accounts with much greater ease.
The other big change is SMS integration. This feature appeared on the Messenger app in 2012 but was removed after about a year due to low user take-up. Well, now it's back, in a testing phase, at least.
Facebook is testing these new features on an undisclosed number of devices, and there's no word on when or even whether we can expect to see a full roll out.
You can find out if you're one of the lucky ones by going to Settings > Accounts and seeing if there's a plus button at the top right of the screen that'll let you add extra accounts. If you've been gifted with SMS support, there should be an SMS option in the Settings menu.
June 25, 2015 - You can now sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account. To do so, you simply have to tap the 'Not on Facebook?' option on the welcome screen. All you need to enter is your name and phone number and add a picture. The option opens up the world of Messenger to people who don't use Facebook, which seems like a sensible addition for Facebook to have made at this point in time.
The benefits of using the service with a Facebook account are still evident, however, as it allows instant access to all your Facebook friends and messages and it allows cross-device access. If you only have a Messenger account, the app works more like WhatsApp.
June 4, 2015 - Messenger now features a new way to share your location. By tapping the balloon icon at the bottom of a conversation, you can selected your current location or any point of interest on a map and send that within the chat window. Great if you're running late, your friend is lost, or you're trying to organize a meetup.
April 27, 2015 - Facebook introduced video calling to its Messenger app. The addition is cross-platform, so it doesn't matter if you're on Android and your friend is on iOS; you just tap the camera icon at the top of a conversation window to start a video call.
March 26, 2015 - Mark Zuckerberg announced new features to be implemented into the Facebook Messenger app. The new app will become an independent "ecosystem," allowing you to install apps and make payments from within Messenger.
The plans for the Facebook Messenger update were outlined at Facebook's F8 developer conference in San Francisco. The new infrastructure will allow developers to create applications and plugins that can 'enhance' conversations, allowing you to add GIFs, photos, videos, audio clips and more.
Facebook's proprietary app store will be called Messenger App Store and will launch with more than 40 applications already available. When sending a message enhanced by of these apps, the recipient will be notified that they can install the same app to respond in kind.
In addition to the inclusion of apps, Facebook is also launching Business on Messenger, a service that will facilitate the conversation between companies and their customers. For example, a consumer can make a purchase from a website, and choose to receive regular updates, such as order confirmations and shipping updates, via Messenger.
According to Facebook, the Messenger update with the new features will be available from March 26. If you have not downloaded Messenger already or would like to verify that the update is available to you, simply click the button below.