Facebook Messenger’s ‘Photo Magic’ feature automates photo sharing with your loved ones

Too lazy to send the shots you took with your friends? A new feature for Facebook Messenger that’s being tested on Android in Australia can scan the shots in your smartphone for you to look for your Facebook friends and then suggest to send these to the people it finds. It makes sharing quite easy but it might not sit well with people who think Facebook is encroaching a bit too much on your privacy yet again by going through your photos.

How it works is once you take a photo (and you have the feature enabled, of course), a notification will pop up to ask you if you want to send the photo to your friend—right from the notification. Facebook Product Manager Lexy Franklin says you will have full control of the feature. You can turn off facial recognition for yourself and disable notifications if you want. It’ll still be up to you how to use the feature once it makes its way here, which it probably would.

Source: TechCrunch | Via: 9to5Mac

Facebook makes it easier to message strangers

This might be a boon or a bane for you but an upcoming Facebook Messenger feature will give you access to messages from people you aren’t Facebook friends with. Before, when you get messages from people you aren’t friends with, these messages get relegated to the Other section of your inbox. You also don’t get notifications for these. The new Message Requests feature will have these messages show up on Messenger as a message request. You can read the message and choose to respond to it or not, without the other person knowing. If you use Facebook to network, this might help you out. The feature is rolling out in the coming days.

Source: Mashable

Facebook Messenger comes to the Apple Watch

Facebook releases a sizeable update for its Messenger app including a native Apple Watch app and support for iOS 9 features. The Apple Watch app lets you view and respond to conversations and send stickers right from the wearable. Messenger app also now supports the split-screen feature for the iPad. Also, all iOS 9 devices can show contacts and conversations on the Proactive Spotlight screens.

Source: 9to5Mac | Download: iTunes App Store (Free)

Facebook Messenger now gives access to users without Facebook accounts

Facebook is looking to bring its messaging app to more people as it now lets users sign-up without a Facebook account. All you need is your phone number and you gain access to all Messenger features like photos, group chats, video, stickers, voice and video calling, etc. The feature is currently available to users in Canada, the US, Peru, and Venezuela.

Facebook stresses though that using Messenger with a Facebook account is still beneficial though. “People can easily message with their Facebook friends and contacts, access their Facebook messages and take advantage of multi-device messaging across mobile devices, the web and tablets,” Facebook Software Engineer Louis Boval said in a blog post.  

Source: Facebook Newsroom