Starting in late October, Facebook, the world’s biggest social media platform, began rolling out their new, enhanced version of the Messenger application: Messenger 4.
The new Messenger app is built in response to a study, where Facebook discovered that 7 out of 10 of their customers prized simplicity in their communication tools more than anything else. According to the people in the Facebook survey, the ability to engage in instant messaging helped them to feel closer to their friends and family. Facebook created Messenger 4 in an attempt to give their audience the intimacy and ease-of-use they’ve been asking for.
The new Messenger will roll out globally in the coming weeks.
What to Expect from Facebook Messenger 4
The most significant focus for Facebook in creating the new Messenger 4 has been simplicity. The team wanted to make the app as easy to use and navigate as possible, which is why it now includes 3 tabs instead of 9. Your conversations will be available in the “Chats” tab, while the “People” tab allows you to scroll through your connections, catch up with stories, and connect with active friends.
The final “Discover” tab allows you to connect with businesses in the Facebook hub, and find the latest deals available in your area. Discover will also provide some of the games we’ve started to see on Facebook Messenger lately.
Aside from making the Messenger tool simpler, Facebook will also be delivering a host of new ways to personalise and enhance your conversations. Messenger 4 now comes with colour gradients, allowing users to customise the chat bubbles in their discussions. Facebook recommends using the colours to reflect your mood when you talk.
Retaining the Features that Customers Love
While there are plenty of updates to explore in Messenger 4, Facebook claims that the app won’t be too different to what customers are already used to. Facebook wants to ensure that your Messenger experience still feels familiar and that it maintains all the features that you enjoy using now. That means that you’ll still be able to challenge friends in games, connect through video chats, and share your live location with your followers too.
Even though many of the elements of Messenger will remain the same, Facebook realises that it can be difficult for people to get used to any significant change to an app you use daily. The social media platform has announced that they will be rolling Messenger 4 out to users in 4 phases to make the experience as simple as possible. To begin with, the update will start with a selection of new features like “Dark Mode” which cuts down on phone glare.
This means that we can expect several months to pass before the full Messenger version 4 is officially up and running on your smartphone.
