Here comes another update to our beloved Facebook Messenger app – advertisements. The users in Thailand and Australia had already gotten a trial of this new update, and now, as is the trend, the updates are getting released all over the world. The update will be available on the Home page in Messenger app as well as between different conversations. This update will ensure multiple brands would have access to around a billion and half user base of Facebook Messenger, which is nothing but abundant.
Along with the standard ads, which are present in desktop version and app of Facebook as well (clicking on these leads one direct to the product home pages on Facebook), the company has stated that there would be a new kind of ads titled “Click to Messenger”, which will let the user simply text or message the brand directly. Once the conversation has initiated, brands would have an easier way to reconnect to past users or customers, as was added by Facebook.
The company further mentioned how users were actually using Messenger to interact and connect with different businesses and products and brands they loved, or wanted to know more about – which led it to be a way of conducting commerce. Having Messenger Ads will ensure that consumers now have more ease finding and exploring different companies and providers on their home tab of Messenger only. It was also mentioned by the company that a really low percentage of customers shall begin getting their Messenger ads by the end of this month, however as time passes, the numbers will increase.
Well, it might seem stupid or even downright mean to complain about the new update as we all gulity as charged of using the Messenger app for years paying nothing at all, but it seems a little bit too much of a step as most of the users now have to get accustomed to a completely revamped app. It does not seem any wrong in wanting (or needing) to make profit out of the 1.2 billion user – strong base of Messenger, but having a service that billions are using already change in fact sucks.
As so many people are now habitual or used to the current Messenger, it would prove to be an annoyance to so many to learn the ropes again. Oh, and did we tell you that this update comes without a “Pay To Remove” feature, which actually may other Android apps provide to their users in lieu of providing an ad free experience. To be truthful, we are wary of this need of monetizing everything shall creep up and infect WhatsApp as well, which is funnily owned by Facebook too.
Other updates that have been rolled out in past some months by Facebook for the Messenger App are –
June 28 : Messenger Discover Tab for Better Research
Messenger was introduced with a new Discover tab for facebook users in the States. The tab will let one connect to all the businesses they want to connect to, while letting different companies promote their products and services. You can choose from sections like Entertainment, Finance, News and others under which different companies and their products have been categorized – a feature which will make it totally fast and easy for you to find out the company or product you were looking for.
June 26 : Video Chats Get Filters & Other Reactions
Facebook introduced filters available in different colors and shades as well as animated reactions and numerous masks and effects that a person can use in Messenger video chats. You can choose from five available emoji icons namely love, haha, sad, wow and angry – and can use these to react to someone who is on a video chat with you. In fact it is now possible to change the color or enhance/dampen the lighting of your screen by using the new filters. You can also screenshot while video chatting and share them with your friends. The update also got us many more masks which are nothing but Facebook’s versions of standard Snapchat filters.
May 19 : Messenger Got the UI Modified
Facebook has tried to make the interface better and easier so that a user can connect and converse with their friends quickly. You can now access the active friends, messages and groups from the top of the landing page, and from the bottom you will have access to calls, games, home screen, camera as well as contacts.
May 2: Messenger Got Instant Games
Oh yes Games! Messenger was introduced with games along with the capability to infuse leaderboards and tournaments as well as adding players, using Game Bots and other things. A game called Words With Friends came out to be one of the first games to introduce these features. Another game EverWing shall also update these new features soon, while 8 Ball Pool would get a new title.
April 18 : New Chat Extensions, M Improvements & Other Things
Facebook had its F8 developer conference in April, which brought with itself lots of news and obviously Messenger was a part of it. The company made announcements regarding the Discover tab, Codes, Chat Extensions as well as M Improvements. You can now share songs you like on your chat, even order food and discover businesses using QR codes, along with many other things.
April 11: Group Payments Started
Messenger allows to let one pay and receive money in groups. Simply go to a group chat, and on the bottom of the screen, at the left side, click on the plus shaped sign. From the list, find and select payments icon. Here, you can easily mention who you want to send money to or get money from. Simply select every person present in the group or just the people you need/want, and the amount that needs to be sent or received, along with mentioning what the payment is for, and click on Request. Easy peasy!
April 7 : Messenger Got the “M”
The social media giant led the updates with introducing suggestions for Messenger, which would be performed by its AI assistant named “M”. It was one of the big steps as M has been under development since the year 2015, and however all the features of the Suggestions tab are not agreed upon yet, the tab is live.
Let us know in comments below how you feel about Messenger getting ads and all these new features.
