Facebook Messenger is sunsetting its SMS support for Android users on September 28, 2023. The change was announced quietly on Meta’s support page on Monday. This means that if you currently use Messenger as your default SMS app, you will need to choose a new one before September 28. 

Facebook drops SMS support on Messenger

Meta (then Facebook) first added SMS support to its Messenger app in 2012, but it was discontinued in 2013. In 2016, the company brought back SMS support, this time with a few key changes. Most importantly, SMS messages were displayed in purple to distinguish them from online chats, which were displayed in blue.

However, the popularity of third-party SMS apps has been declining in recent years. Users are increasingly turning to web-based IM clients like Messenger and WhatsApp, which offer a wider range of features and functionality. 

Also, Messenger does not have access to modern IP-based Rich Communication Services (RCS), which Google has been focusing on in recent years. Google Messages, which is the default SMS app on most Android devices, handles both SMS and MMS messages and supports RCS. 

Google is pushing RCS as a replacement for SMS and MMS, which could further accelerate the decline of third-party SMS apps. In light of these trends, it is not surprising that Meta has decided to discontinue SMS support in Messenger for Android users. The company is likely focused on developing Messenger as a more social messaging app, rather than a general-purpose texting app. 

If you are an Android user who currently uses Messenger as your default SMS app, you should start planning to switch to a different app before September 28th. There are many great SMS apps available, such as Google Messages, Textra, and Pulse. You can read reviews of different apps to find one that best meets your needs.

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Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has announced several exciting updates to Meta Avatars that promise to make them more entertaining, practical, and social than ever before. One of the standout features is the introduction of real-time calling with Meta Avatars. Now, users of Messenger and Instagram can engage in video calls with their avatars, offering a creative alternative to traditional camera-on or camera-off options. Whether you want to appear as a llama or simply hide a bad hair day, this new feature allows for a more immersive and expressive communication experience.

Avatars will also look more similar across different Meta social media platforms

To further liven conversations up, Meta is introducing animated stickers for avatars. Gone are the days of static images. Users can now use dynamic avatar stickers in Instagram and Facebook Stories, Reels, and Messenger and Instagram message threads. From friendly waves to enthusiastic applause, these animated stickers enable users to add more personality and emotion into their virtual interactions.

Recognizing that self-expression is often best enjoyed with friends, Meta has made avatar stickers a social activity. Through @Tagging, users can include friends in Facebook Stories, allowing avatars to hang out together in the metaverse. Additionally, users can share social stickers featuring themselves and a single friend in private message threads, shared moments, inside jokes, and a sense of togetherness.

Meta is also streamlining the avatar creation process. By utilizing a live selfie, Facebook and WhatsApp users can now generate suggested avatar options that closely resemble their real-life appearance. Users can then personalize these suggestions to accurately represent themselves. While this feature is currently in testing, Meta aims to refine and improve it over time, making avatar creation easier and faster for all. Users don’t have to put in too much work for the same!

Lastly, Meta has standardized the appearance of avatars across all platforms. Whether in virtual reality or on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp, avatars will now have consistent proportions, offering a more realistic and visually appealing representation. Users can now confidently showcase their style choices without their avatars’ oversized heads stealing the spotlight.

With these updates, Meta is ensuring that Meta Avatars continue to evolve and enhance the digital experience for its users. By providing more interactive communication options, personalized expressions, and a cohesive avatar appearance, Meta is cementing its commitment to creating a vibrant and engaging metaverse for all.

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Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has announced the rollout of new parental control tools for its platforms. These tools aim to enhance the safety and privacy of young users and encourage healthy digital habits. The updates include a parental supervision hub in Messenger, proactive blocking of unwanted direct messages (DMs) on Messenger and Instagram, and reminders for teens to take breaks from using the apps.

Messenger Supervision Controls: Keep Track of Teens’ Privacy and Safety Settings

The Messenger supervision controls will initially be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada through Meta’s Family Center. Parents or guardians will have access to their teen’s privacy and safety settings, be notified of any changes in their Messenger contact list, and monitor the amount of time spent in the app. They will also receive notifications if their teen reports someone; however, explicit permission from the teen is required for this feature.

Parents will be able to manage settings such as who can message their teens (friends only, friends of friends, or no one) and who can view their stories. Any changes made to these settings will trigger notifications for the guardians.

Instagram has been taking steps to limit interactions between teens and unknown adults, and the latest update involves users sending text-only invitations to seek permission before interacting with someone they are not connected to. This feature is designed to enhance safety and prevent unwanted contact.

To promote healthy digital habits, both Instagram and Facebook will introduce controls to reduce excessive usage. Instagram’s existing “Quiet mode,” which allows users to pause notifications and set auto-replies while taking a break, will now be available globally. Facebook will notify users after 20 minutes of continuous usage to encourage them to take a break, and it will also remind teens to close the app while watching Reels at night.

Meta is also introducing a new notice on Instagram, urging teens to allow their guardians to supervise their accounts for added protection. Parents will have the ability to view mutual followers and accounts followed by their teens.

Earlier this year, Meta implemented controls over ad targeting for teenagers and introduced tools to prevent the sharing of intimate images by minors. However, the company has faced scrutiny for privacy violations related to children’s data and was previously fined over $400 million for breaching GDPR rules.

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In a surprising move, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has decided to pull the Facebook Messenger app from the Apple Watch. This decision has left Apple Watch users disappointed, as they will no longer be able to send or receive messages through the app starting from June 1st. The announcement came through a discreet notification on the Apple Watch Messenger app, catching many users off guard. While Meta has confirmed the news, they have yet to release a public statement explaining the rationale behind this decision.

Meta might be looking to maximize Ad Revenue from the Messenger app

For Apple Watch users who have been accustomed to the convenience of Facebook Messenger on their wrists, this change comes as a significant blow. Until now, they could effortlessly send and receive messages without reaching for their iPhones. The integration also allowed users to make posts and upload photos directly from their Apple Watch, saving time and enhancing the user experience. However, as one Redditor aptly pointed out, such seamless integration meant users didn’t need to open the app as frequently, resulting in reduced ad exposure for Messenger subscribers.

Speculation regarding the motives behind Meta’s decision revolves around financial considerations. The possible reason for removing the Messenger app from the Apple Watch could be linked to the company’s desire to maximize ad revenue. By eliminating the Apple Watch app, Meta ensures that users spend more time on the iOS Facebook Messenger app, leading to increased ad impressions. This strategic move aligns with Meta’s goal of generating higher revenue from advertisements.

While Apple Watch users may be disappointed, they are not completely helpless. Facebook spokespersons have emphasized that messaging through Facebook Messenger will still be accessible via the iPhone app, desktop, or website. Users will receive notifications on their Apple Watches, allowing them to stay informed about incoming messages. While it may not offer the same level of convenience, these alternative options ensure that users can still engage with their Messenger contacts.

While the exact reasoning behind this move remains undisclosed, speculations point towards financial considerations and the goal of maximizing ad revenue. Apple Watch users, though disappointed, can still access Facebook Messenger through alternative means, ensuring they can stay connected with their contacts.

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Facebook Gaming is a gaming platform developed by Facebook that allows users to discover, watch, and play games across different devices. The platform offers a wide range of games from popular genres like action, adventure, sports, and puzzle, as well as live streams of gameplay by popular gamers and influencers. Users can connect with other gamers, create communities, and join groups based on their gaming interests. Facebook Gaming also offers features like in-app purchases, live chat, and gifting to enhance the gaming experience. The platform is available on desktop, iOS, and Android devices, and provides a great way for gamers to engage and connect with others who share their interests. Users can now experience Facebook Gaming in a whole different way, since a recent announcement stated that Facebook Messenger will let users play multiplayer games, even while on a video call.

Now users can engage in their favorite games while on video calls with their loved ones using Messenger. This latest feature in Messenger promises to be a fun-filled experience, especially for those people who love multitasking or are bored of conversations easily. Plus, playing games together can be a fun bonding activity, or it can be simply reminiscent of older multiplayer gaming experiences. The best part? Users don’t have to install anything! With 14 free-to-play games available on iOS, Android, and web, they can enjoy a mix of brand new and fan-favorite titles. So far, the games include Card Wars by Bombay Play, Exploding Kittens by Coatsink, Mini Golf FRVR by FRVR, and Words With Friends by Zynga. Most games support two players, but the number of players varies for each game.

Starting a game is quite easy, as a matter of fact. While you’re in a video call with your friends, simply tap the “Group Mode” button in the center, and then tap the “Play” button to get started. This comes as a welcome move from the company, since in 2017, it announced that it would no longer support its desktop gaming platform, which included popular games like Farmville and Mafia Wars. The reason for this was that Facebook was shifting its focus to mobile gaming, where it saw more growth potential. Facebook still supports mobile games and has even expanded its gaming platform to include cloud gaming.

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Facebook just announced earlier today (9th March 2023) that it will be utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance user experience and create more opportunities for its creators. But apart from this, a major new change is that it is finally bringing back Messenger back into its original application.

The social media giant had recently announced that it had hit the 2 billion daily active user milestone and that it was planning on releasing new ‘Creative Expression’ tools for Facebook users to create 90 second reels. While all of this gives more options to the creators, the news that I personally look forward to is the reintegration of the Messenger app into Facebook. For those unaware, the tech giant had spun off its messaging inbox section into a dedicated app on the side years ago.

This decision had a fair share of criticism. But now, Facebook is planning on making the experience more intuitive by letting users access their Messenger inbox within the app. Based on official notes, more than 140 billion messages are sent across the Facebook’s apps every day. The number of people sharing Reels has also cross the 1 billion mark on Instagram DMs and are also growing rapidly on Facebook.

Thus, the company is testing the ability for people to access their Messenger inbox within the app and plans to expand this testing phase. In other words, the social media platform is planning on offering more ways to integrate the messaging features in the platform to make it easier for users to connect and share with one another.

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3 months into 2023, it is clear that the theme for tech products and services released this year is artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The competition from OpenAI’s ChatGPT has sparked tech giants such as Microsoft to release their new AI-powered Bing and Google to release Bard, the company’s newest AI model to the public. And Californian tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that the tech conglomerate is looking to add AI into its current services such as Whatsapp, Instagram and Messenger this year.

Mack Zuckerberg, chairman of Meta Platforms and founder of Facebook, announced on social media that the company is creating a new top-level product group at Meta focused on generative AI to turbocharge their work in this industry. In the statement, Meta says that over the longer term, the company looks to focus on developing “AI personas” that can help people in a variety of ways.

The statement also expresses that AI could be integrated into the company’s current product portfolio such as Whatsapp, Messenger and Instagram. As quoted in the statement, Mark says, “We’re exploring experiences with text (like chat in WhatsApp and Messenger), with images (like creative Instagram filters and ad formats), and with video and multi-modal experiences.”

Besides that, a Bloomberg report notes that the AI team at Meta will be led by Ahmad Al-Dahle, who is a machine learning and artificial intelligence executive. He reports directly to Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, which the report notes that it is a significant sign that the company intends to further integrate AI into its wide range of online products and services.

However, Meta reinstates that the company is still in its growth stage of AI, as it expresses that the company has a lot of foundational work to do before getting to the really futuristic experiences. As a closing note of the announcement, Mark Zuckerberg remarks that he is excited about all of the new things Meta will build along the way.

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One of the most widely used messaging services is undoubtedly Messenger. Previously, Meta had linked Instagram DMs with Messenger. The launch of numerous intriguing new features for Messenger has now been formally confirmed by the company. End-to-end encryption is additionally used to encrypt the talks. Support for custom chat emoticons and themes, link previews, and active status are some of the new features that have been added. Let’s get into the details to learn more about it.

The Meta has officially announced the addition of new features to Messenger. The list includes features like Chat themes, Group Profile Pictures, Bubbles for Android and a lot more. Here is the complete list of the features along with a short description of them;

• Chat themes: The first feature in the list is Chat themes. To help you personalise and improve your conversations in end-to-end encrypted chats, the company has included chat themes. For end-to-end encrypted chats, you may now specify themes, including static colour and gradient themes.
• Custom Chat Emojis and Reactions: The users will be now able to fully customize the emojis and reactions in the end-to-end encrypted chats.
• Group profile photos: The users will now be able to choose different group photos for different group chats.
• Link previews: Meta has added a preview of the link in the chats so that the users will be able to get a preview of it before actually visiting the site or page.
• Active Status: People may see when you’re online using this feature, which helps them decide when to call. If you wish to increase your privacy, you can also decide to disable this option.
• Bubbles on Android: While using other apps, you can read and react to messages using bubbles (a circle with your friend’s photo in it). When activated, a bubble will show up whenever a new message arrives.

The company has also stated that they are testing Messenger’s built-in end-to-end encryption. They want to guarantee that user chats are confidential, secure, and safe. These functionalities will be put through more testing by Meta before being more widely accessible in the following days. That concludes the post. Please share your opinions with us in the comment field below. I appreciate you continuing to read.

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Recently, rumors are swirling around that Facebook is developing a clone version of the popular Voice-based app Clubhouse. Now, a new report by The Information says that the Californian giant is also entering into the world of Smartwatches.

According to the report, Facebook is making a Smartwatch with emphasis on Messaging and Fitness. It may be called the ‘Facebook Watch’ but it’s just a guess and not confirmed yet. We already know that the company isn’t new to the world of Smart devices. In fact, it has launched a VR headset under its subsidiary Oculus VR.

Anyway, the company is said to focus on Message interaction in the Smartwatch. Users will be able to communicate with their friends on platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger. Now, you might wonder if it will require a Smartphone for integration and sync.

For this, Facebook seems to have a solution. The Watch will reportedly come with Cellular connectivity support so you don’t have to barge into your phone every time. This also suggests that the company is going to revamp the social media Apps for the tiny Wearable screens more.

Speaking of which, the report says that although the Watch will run on an Open-source version of Google’s Android, Facebook is working on its own Operating System. And the OS could debut in 2023 along with the Second-Generation of this Watch. In that year, the company is also reported to bring an AR Glass.

That said, apart from Messaging, Facebook is also said to be focussing more on Health features that will be present in the Smartwatch. Some of them are extensive Workout plans/Data, Track workouts, interact with Trainers, and integrate with Fitness services like Peloton.

The wearable segment is said to get a big boon in 2021 and beyond. Just like the report says, Facebook seems to have found the right choice of segment to venture into as Smartwatches are becoming equally important like Smartphones.

Going by the trend, we can also expect other features like Heart rate monitoring(PPG), Blood Oxygen(SpO2) and Stress monitoring, aggressive pricing(maybe around $399 to rival Apple Watch 6).

Facebook’s Smartwatch will reportedly go on sale sometime next year i.e., 2022 so we will have to wait for a few months to start seeing leaks about it.

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Facebook is apparently planning on bringing two of its chatting services closer together. The social media giant is reportedly bringing a cross-chat feature for its Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

For those unaware, Facebook currently owns popular social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. Since the acquisitions, the company has strived to make moving content between the different platforms more seamless and now, maybe even direct. According to a new report, Facebook Messenger users will soon be able to send messages directly to others on WhatsApp.

WABetaInfo reported that a developer named Alessandro Paluzzi revealed that Facebook is bringing in integration support for both messaging platforms. The developer claimed to have found a few interesting references in Facebook’s codes, which suggested that the company is creating tables in a local database that will enable them to manage messages and services with other WhatsApp users.

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In simpler terms, Facebook might be able to get access to different data within the WhatsApp database. The code is suggested of being able to recognize sounds of push notifications and even some details of a chat. It can find out if a WhatsApp contact is blocked, find a phone number, find whether or not a chat is archived, and may also be able to view specific WhatsApp groups and profile pictures as well.

This is indicating that Facebook is collecting the code for a local database, which is a work in progress. WABetaInfo believes that the company might also use the same WhatsApp encryption and decryption protocol and may launch this feature in the near future. Although, this is still unconfirmed, so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates regarding the matter.

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The dream of Mark Zuckerberg to unify all the infrastructure of three services – WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger appear to be distant. The US Federal Officials may hamper the process as they are seeking considerable action against Facebook over antitrust concerns over products interaction in the backend, cites a report in the Wall Street Journal.

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The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) could prevent Facebook from implementing the unification process if found the process anticompetitive. The Federal Trade Commission will conduct a detailed survey to materialise on how Facebook integrates its products at the backend. Upon noticing any anomaly, the FTC could seek an injunction against the whole unification policy. However, FTC would also require a five-member majority and suit filing in federal court to make injunction possible.

On the other hand, Facebook has been worried about the Federal Trade Commission’s proceedings against its “interoperability” rules. Primarily, the social-media giant’s interoperability policies prevent other services to compete against Facebook.

It is not currently clear whether the agency will seek an injunction or will file an antitrust lawsuit against the company over its interoperability policies. According to a person familiar with the matter, reveals that the FTC could take possible action as soon as the next month. It is also believed that the agency will ban some interoperability policies to make the stop the anti-competitive acts by Facebook.

We have to wait for some time, to see on which side the boat will float in the coming times. What are your views? Share your important thoughts via the comments below.

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