Facebook unveils new design for its Messenger app
What you need to know
- A report has revealed Facebook's plans to overhaul its Messenger app.
- Developer screenshots show that the Discover tab is on its way out.
- Chat bots, business and games are being hidden from view, and chat bots are being demoted.
A new report has revealed Facebook's plans to overhaul its Messenger app, an update Facebook says will begin rolling out shortly.
As reported by TechCrunch:
The change will apparently push users towards more time spent speaking with friends and viewing content, rather than speaking with chat bots, business and playing games. The Discover tab looks to be out, meaning the only tabs you'll see will be Chat and People. People will have two sub-tabs, one for Stories and one for Active.
According to the report, a Facebook spokesperson has confirmed that this redesign will "soon start rolling out", and that some of you might already have the update. More rollouts are planned this week. Facebook said it was delivering on its promise in August that it would eventually get rid of Discover.
Features like Chat bots, businesses and games are being hidden, however, now you'll have to purposefully search for them in the Messenger search bar in order to find them.
The update seems to suggest that Facebook is pushing messenger in the direction of WhatsApp in order to become a streamlined and focused messenger service, rather than a do-it-all utility app like China's WeChat.
As mentioned, some of you may already have this update, and more of you will get it next week.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9