Facebook messenger is one of the most used messaging apps across the world, recently hitting the mark of 900 million monthly active users. Messenger is not only becoming bigger but better. The social media giant, at its developer conference F8, introduced “chatbots” that can be used to avail of cab services or food delivery. There are some other perks too, but you might not even know of some them. So, today we are going to look at some of the tips and tricks you can use to get the most of out the Facebook messaging experience.
While the app may be your usual go-to, sometimes it’s easier to use the desktop version of the messenger. If you think using the chat service on the Facebook website is tedious you can go to messenger.com and have a better experience. If you don't want to open yet another tab, you can always download the Windows or Mac app.
Sometimes, a flurry of chat notifications can be really annoying. Fortunately, you can disable chat notifications for as long as you want. Go to settings>notifications and sounds, and click on the toggle above. It will display the option of disabling notifications for 15 minutes to 24 hours or the next alarm. You can also mute certain contacts forever... talk to the void, pesky colleague.
Thankfully, Facebook messenger gives you a separate tab to manage your groups. In the tab, you can pin the groups, arrange them and assign photos and names to them all as your own little heart desires.
When you have a bunch of friends to gossip with, calling is more fun than chatting sometimes. You can do a video or an audio call from the group by clicking the call button and selecting the members. Other members can join the call later too.
There are a couple of hidden gems inside the messenger. You can play basketball or chess with your friends in the chat. For basketball, just post the basketball emoji, click on the message that appears, and start playing. For chess, type 'play @fbchess' and a board will appear in the chat window. You can move the pieces by typing in the short-code of the piece and the square that you want to move to. For example to move the Queen to c6, type "@fbchess Qc6".
Who doesn't like a picture of a dog? You can send a random image to the person you are chatting with by just typing @dailycute in the window and an image from Imgur will pop up.
Sometimes, people who aren’t on your friends’ list message you. While these messages are usually requests for “fraandship” or spam, you never know if it’s a social media-savvy recruiter or the next love of your life. Check your message requests under settings>people>see filtered requests. There you can see all message requests you may have missed.
Facebook messenger allows you to integrate with apps such as Dropbox, Imgur, Giphy and so on to send files, images or GIFs. To install any of these apps just click on the rightmost icon of three dots in any chat window and you will see a list of apps. You can install any app and use the functions.
There are times that your phone is sitting around on the table and a message pops up when you are not around. If you’ve got something to keep secret or just value your privacy, you can hide the previews in the notifications. Just go to settings>notifications and toggle off the previews.
Messenger uses the classic blue and white combination of Facebook by default, but if you’re bored with that, you have other options. Go to any chat and click on the information icon on the top right corner and you will find an option to change the colour of the chat.
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1. Desktop option
While the app may be your usual go-to, sometimes it’s easier to use the desktop version of the messenger. If you think using the chat service on the Facebook website is tedious you can go to messenger.com and have a better experience. If you don't want to open yet another tab, you can always download the Windows or Mac app.
2. Disable chat notifications
Sometimes, a flurry of chat notifications can be really annoying. Fortunately, you can disable chat notifications for as long as you want. Go to settings>notifications and sounds, and click on the toggle above. It will display the option of disabling notifications for 15 minutes to 24 hours or the next alarm. You can also mute certain contacts forever... talk to the void, pesky colleague.
3. Group messaging
Thankfully, Facebook messenger gives you a separate tab to manage your groups. In the tab, you can pin the groups, arrange them and assign photos and names to them all as your own little heart desires.
4. Group calling
When you have a bunch of friends to gossip with, calling is more fun than chatting sometimes. You can do a video or an audio call from the group by clicking the call button and selecting the members. Other members can join the call later too.
5. Playing games
There are a couple of hidden gems inside the messenger. You can play basketball or chess with your friends in the chat. For basketball, just post the basketball emoji, click on the message that appears, and start playing. For chess, type 'play @fbchess' and a board will appear in the chat window. You can move the pieces by typing in the short-code of the piece and the square that you want to move to. For example to move the Queen to c6, type "@fbchess Qc6".
6. Send animal pictures
Who doesn't like a picture of a dog? You can send a random image to the person you are chatting with by just typing @dailycute in the window and an image from Imgur will pop up.
7. Check out message requests
Sometimes, people who aren’t on your friends’ list message you. While these messages are usually requests for “fraandship” or spam, you never know if it’s a social media-savvy recruiter or the next love of your life. Check your message requests under settings>people>see filtered requests. There you can see all message requests you may have missed.
8. Integrate apps in the messenger
Facebook messenger allows you to integrate with apps such as Dropbox, Imgur, Giphy and so on to send files, images or GIFs. To install any of these apps just click on the rightmost icon of three dots in any chat window and you will see a list of apps. You can install any app and use the functions.
9. Hide previews in notifications
There are times that your phone is sitting around on the table and a message pops up when you are not around. If you’ve got something to keep secret or just value your privacy, you can hide the previews in the notifications. Just go to settings>notifications and toggle off the previews.
10. Change the colour of the chat
Messenger uses the classic blue and white combination of Facebook by default, but if you’re bored with that, you have other options. Go to any chat and click on the information icon on the top right corner and you will find an option to change the colour of the chat.
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