How To Use Messenger Filters

With 1.3 billion monthly users, Facebook's standalone Messenger platform has become almost as popular as Facebook itself, equally the company packed cool (and sometimes unexpected) functionality into the messaging service.

Most popular global mobile messaging apps 2021 Published by H. Tankovska, Feb 10, 2021 As of January 2021, two billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. The app's reach is usage penetration is particularly strong in markets outside of the United States and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide. In February 2014, social network Facebook acquired the mobile app for 19 billion U.S. dollars. Instant messaging is a type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission via internet. Since the appearance of smartphone and the subsequent explosion of mobile apps, low-cost or free chat and social messaging apps have proven themselves as a cheap alternative to operator-based text messaging via SMS. Many messenger apps offer features such as group chats, the exchange of graphics, video and even audio messages as well as stickers or emoticons. Read more Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of January 2021, based on number of monthly active users

Image: Statista (Statista)

Its popularity is topped only by WhatsApp, which is also owned by Facebook. And equally their parent visitor moves to bring Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp closer together, new features—like money transfers, video calls, and better encryption—accept made their way to Facebook Messenger. Here'southward what you should know before you commencement a chat.

Become Off the Phone

While most people apply Messenger on their phone, you lot tin likewise chat on the desktop—without having to keep Facebook.com open all day. Instead, try Messenger.com, where you can enjoy the app's basic functionality in your browser. Alternatively, there is now a desktop app for Windows and Mac, which has even so features as the mobile app version.

Talk Cross-Platform

Messenger debuted every bit Facebook Chat in 2008—several years earlier Facebook spent billions on Instagram and WhatsApp. But now that the social network owns all iii services, information technology's fabricated an effort to merge them together. Now, if you're using Messenger, you can talk with people on Instagram without needing to switch apps. (Look for it on WhatsApp soon.)

To restrict admission between the two apps, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Message Delivery. Hither, you can choose whether Instagram friends or acquaintances can message you freely via Messenger, if you want to approve them first, or block access completely.

Make Phone and Video Calls

facebook messenger video chat on the desktop

Never use your telephone service again because Messenger can make phone and video calls for you, on mobile and the desktop. Just click on the phone icon or the photographic camera icon in whatever existing chat to requite your friend or friends a telephone call. The only requirement is that all parties take an cyberspace connection. Be warned that the service starts up as before long equally you touch the push button, so be ready!

Send Audio Letters

Instead of a live telephone call, you can also send audio messages to your contacts. Merely tap the microphone push on mobile to begin tape, then employ elevate and drop to either cancel or transport. In the desktop app, you click the + button and select Tape a Voice Clip, and so either click the X button to delete or the cull transport.

Create a Room

In order to compete with grouping video chat services similar Zoom, Facebook introduced Messenger Rooms to give people a place to congregate remotely. Create a room and invite your friends, where you lot tin can share your screen, play games, or watch videos together. All Watch Together content is available through Facebook Picket, so you tin can all view video clips, TV shows, and feature length movies from inside the chat.

These rooms tin be left upwards all the fourth dimension for anyone to driblet in or only open at specific times for gatherings. And cheers to increased integration, this characteristic works across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Encrypted Conversations

If you're looking to share data that you don't want falling into the incorrect hands, beginning a Clandestine Conversation, which uses the Bespeak Protocol to set up end-to-stop encryption. Encrypting a conversation is optional because finish-to-end encryption breaks some features in Messenger, like using it beyond multiple devices, archiving by conversations, and even sending things like money or animated GIFs.

To ship a "secret" message, tap the New Message icon on the top-correct of the abode screen and tap Hole-and-corner (iOS) or toggle the secret icon to the on position (Android). In an existing chat, tap the person'southward proper noun at the top of the screen and select Go to Cloak-and-dagger Conversation. Hole-and-corner conversations will appear in dissimilar threads from regular chats in Messenger.

While inside a Secret Chat, you tin likewise set up your letters to expire after a certain amount of time. Tap the stopwatch icon to add an expiration fourth dimension of 5, 10, or thirty seconds, 1, 5, x, or 30 minutes, 1, vi, or 12 hours, or up to one day. The clock won't start until they accept seen the message. You can also select Off to go on letters visible within the Secret Chat.

Disappearing Messages

If you only want a niggling actress privacy without getting into encryption, Messenger's newest feature is disappearing messages. Chosen Vanish Mode in the app, all yous have to practice is swipe up inside a conversation in guild to turn on disappearing messages. Now all your messages, videos, and gifs will disappear once you close out of the app. The manner also supports screenshot notifications.

When y'all no longer want to use Vanish Mode, swipe upward on the screen once more, or tap the Plough Off Vanish Mode button at the top of your conversation.

Create Stories and Video Messages

Messenger has much of the aforementioned functionality as Instagram, meaning you can compose and send video messages within the app. On mobile, tap the camera icon and hold the center icon to record a video. You can likewise load your clips up with filters and other touches of customization.

Like Facebook and Instagram, you tin also create stories—short collections of video and pictures—within the Messenger app. You tin view existing stories in the mobile app under People > Stories, and so make your ain past tapping Add together to Story. Otherwise, create content and then choose Your Story as the destination.

In one case the story has been published, it will remain visible for 24 hours. You can adjust settings in order to ensure that only sure people encounter your story or that it disappears afterward a certain corporeality of time.

Poll Your Friends

Getting a group to brand a determination can exist frustrating, so Messenger lets you poll your friends. Open or start a chat with the group of friends you desire to poll. Tap the four-dot (Android) or plus (iOS) icon on the left and tap Polls. Blazon your question, add choices, and tap Create Poll.

Transfer Money

There are a number of mobile payment apps available now, but if you'd rather not exit the confines of Facebook when managing your finances, Messenger also lets y'all send and request money through Facebook Pay.

On mobile, tap your photo on the height of the app and select Facebook Pay to add a debit card or link your PayPal business relationship. You tin can also add a Pivot or fingerprint in connection with financial transactions to keep things more secure.

Then, from inside a conversation, choose 4-dot icon (on mobile) or + icon (on spider web and iOS) to open additional messaging options. Select the $ icon, then fill in the corporeality to send or request.

Manage Visibility

If you value your privacy, Messenger has a few features that can help you secure your account, outside of Facebook's own security features. Agile Status tells your friends when you're online; a green dot will appear on your profile icon when you're available to chat. If you'd rather non broadcast your status, tap your chat head in the top-left corner, select Active Condition and toggle information technology off. Note that this means you tin can't run across other people's statuses either.

Other privacy settings tin exist accessed under the Privacy tab, where y'all can block accounts, manage who can come across your stories, and how the app should handle bulletin requests.

Make Messenger Your SMS App (Android Simply)

If yous like Facebook Messenger more than your standard text messaging app, you can utilise information technology to receive both instant and SMS messages on Android. This ways you will be able to receive text messages through the Messenger app, just similar if someone was chatting with you lot. Tap your conversation caput and select SMS, so toggle the On switch. You lot tin then determine how to app handles text and media messages.

Read Receipts

Yous tin can check on the status of your messages past borer on them inside the chat window. Messenger will inform y'all when a bulletin has been sent, then notify yous when it has been delivered. The message will say "Seen" subsequently information technology's been read.

Transport Your Location

You tin can send your exact location to anyone you lot're talking with on the mobile app by tapping the 4-dot (Android) or plus (iOS) icon and selecting Location (Android) or the location icon (iOS). Facebook will launch a map that shows your electric current location; share it for 60 minutes or drop a pin at a specific spot. Friends volition receive a link to your location on Messenger. Y'all'll take to give Messenger permission to share your location in the background for that fourth dimension flow.

Turn on Dark Mode

Messenger lets you nickname conversations and assign them a color theme or their own particular emoji. Access this part by tapping on a contact'due south profile and selecting Theme, Emoji, or Nickname. You can also choose to turn the Messenger interface from white to black by turning on dark mode. Tap your conversation-caput icon on the summit left and toggle Dark Mode to on.

Diversify Your Emoji

Android users can add diversity to their emoji by tapping the conversation caput in the top-left corner and navigating to Photos & Media > Emoji and selecting a default skin tone. The functionality is built direct into iOS, so all you have to do is long-press on an emoji and a menu will pop up with different peel tone options.

Sometimes a simple emoji won't practice the trick and yous demand to SUPERSIZE it. On Android or the web (sorry, iPhone users), tap or click the smiley confront icon, and select and agree your emoji of choice. As you lot concur information technology, the emoji volition grow in size; release to send.

If you hold it also long, the icon will begin to milkshake before deflating back to its smaller, normal size. Those who receive these emoji on their iPhones volition see them at their normal sizes.

Unsend a Bulletin

Facebook Messenger allows users to undo letters upward to 10 minutes after sending. Perform this action by pressing down on your message on mobile and selecting Remove. A pop-up message will ask if y'all want to "Unsend" or "Remove for You." In the chat, a grayed-out note will appear that says "You unsent a message" or "You removed a bulletin." To remove that, long-printing on it and select Remove. After the 10-minute window is up, you lot tin simply remove a message from your view; everyone else in the chat will all the same see information technology.

Add together Additional Facebook Accounts

If you want to add an additional account to Messenger, go to Settings > Switch Account > Add Account to more hands switch between Facebook personas. Yous can also create a new business relationship from this menu.

Messenger Kids

Your kids are probably using TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram. But if they want to chat with someone on Facebook—like grandma or granddaddy and far-flung relatives—you lot can set them up with a safer version of the social network, Messenger Kids (iOS, Android). Parents control who kids can talk to, and Facebook added updates last year that gives mom and dad even more insight into what kids are doing in the app.

Similar What You're Reading?

This newsletter may incorporate advert, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at whatsoever time.