Facebook Messenger Gets New End-to-End Encryption Features
Mark Zuckerberg has today announced some new features for the Messenger app’s end-to-end encrypted chats, including chat themes, custom emojis, and more.
Facebook says it is now also testing default end-to-end encryption for Messenger. The company will notify people in individual chat threads as their chats are upgraded.
Some of the new features being added to Messenger’s end-to-end encrypted experience are:
Chat themes
Now you can set themes, including static color and gradient themes, for end-to-end encrypted chats.
Custom chat emojis and reactions
You can now see the full menu of emoji reactions and customize the quick reaction tray in end-to-end encrypted chats.
Group profile photos
Choose group profile photos for different chats with friends or work colleagues.
Link previews
We’ve rebuilt link previews for end-to-end encrypted chats so that you can see where a link is taking you, before clicking on it.
Active Status
Let people see when you’re active, so they know when it’s a good time to call. You can also choose to turn this feature off.
Bubbles on Android
Bubbles let you read and reply to messages while you’re using other apps. Once enabled, a bubble will appear when you get a new message.
Over the next few months, people will continue to see their encrypted chats being upgraded with these new features.