Facebook tests unsend feature on Messenger

Earlier this year, Facebook talked about how it secretly deleted some old messages sent on Messenger by its CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg. It wasn’t a feature that was available to normal Facebook users, though. When we deleted messages on the Messenger app, it gets deleted from our end but stays in the recipient’s inbox. Around April, Facebook said it was working on implementing this feature for all users but didn’t give a timeframe for its implementation. Now, it looks like the company is testing it out. Tech tipster Jane Manchun Wong tweeted screencaps of the unsend feature appearing on an Android device.

A prompt to “Unsend Message” shows up above the “Delete Message” option when you try to edit a message sent in a conversation. If you choose to unsend the message, a pop-up will appear to confirm the choice. It says “Your message will be removed from the chat, and you.” According to Wong, there will be a time limit for when you can unsend a message, similar to the 30-second window you get for Gmail. She didn’t specify though how long Messenger’s unsend time limit is.

Source: The Verge

Facebook will soon autoplay video ads in Messenger

Facebook has admitted in the past that it no longer has room in its main app for ads. What’s their solution? Putting it in its other apps like Messenger and Marketplace. You may or may not have already noticed ads on Messenger and tried to ignore them. But now you might no longer be able to with Facebook’s plans to rollout autoplaying video ads to integrate alongside your messages.

When asked if users might find this obnoxious, Stefanos Loukakos, who run’s Messenger’s ad business, acknowledges this possibility and said they’re monitoring user behavior to see if these ads will turn people off. He said that when they started integrating basic ads to the service, it “didn’t show any changes with how people used the platform or how many messages they send.” He adds, “Video might be different, but we don’t believe so.” Facebook will start testing this with some of its users starting Monday. Let us know what you think if this hits your inbox.

Source: Recode

Facebook promises to scale back on ‘you are now connected’ Messenger reminders

With digital health and phone addiction a hot button item right now, things like constant notifications popping up are seen as ways to prolong use of apps and services. Facebook is seen as a bit of an offender in this respect. With two separate apps—for Messenger and the main Facebook app—we get tons of notifications from them, and some, as some users have complained, are “useless.” An example is the “You are now connected on Messenger” alert. It seems Facebook is hearing the complaints of users and are saying they’re going to cut back on these unnecessary reminders with the help of machine learning.

"We've found that many people have appreciated getting a notification when a friend joins Messenger." A representative said to TechCrunch. "That said, we are working to make these notifications even more useful by employing machine learning to send fewer of them over time to people who enjoy getting them less."

Facebook adds support for 360-degree photos and HD videos for Messenger

Facebook is in hot water right now but it’s trying to make sure the wheels keep turning. A new update for its messaging app Facebook Messenger brings a couple of nifty features. One is the ability to send 360-degree/panorama photos through the app. You send it the same way you would regular photos but this time your recipient will see a compass icon next to it to let them know it’s a 360-degree or panoramic photo. The photos can be viewed both on mobile and on Messenger.com

Another is being able to send 720p HD videos on the service. You would think this should’ve been available before but it hasn’t been made available until now. And while 360-degree photo sharing is rolling out across the globe, we’re one of the few countries that get access to HD video sharing.

Source: Android Central