The Messenger app from Meta‘s Facebook is dishing up new shortcuts. These will gradually roll out globally for Android and iOS users as part of a new Messenger update.
Meta has revealed new shortcuts like group tag replies, silent replies, retro emoji replies, and GIF reply features. The Facebook messaging app will also add new updates later this year, likely drawing from these new functions.
Shortcuts rolling out
One new Messenger shortcut helps users to tag everyone in a group before replying. All you need do is use the shortcut ‘@everyone’ on Messenger to get everyone’s attention about your delicious pizza proposal for the weekend. This feature has been available on Slack for some time. “By default, all members can notify a channel or workspace by using @channel,@here, and @everyonementions,” explains the Slack help center. Messenger’s implementation is identical, because that’s just how Facebook rolls.
Messenger’s second new function is meant for privacy. Stop giggling. Meta calls it the silent option.
What this means is that the notification will stay silent and not make that horrific PING noise. All you have to do is start your message off with ‘/silent’. This will also be available as ‘@Silent’ on Instagram. You can use this when chatting to someone in the same room. Or, you know, just put your phones on silent or something?
Incoming
There’s more than just a pair of shortcuts, of course. The ‘/pay’ shortcut also arrives for users in the US. The ‘/pay’ shortcut allows users to send or request money through the platform, a feature not yet available in South Africa. GIFs are also coming to the messaging apps soon. The user simply types ‘/gif’ followed by the topic and GIF options will magically appear to choose from.
Love old-school emoticons like text-based tableflip (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ and shrug¯\_(ツ)_/¯? Well, in future, all you have to type out on Messenger is ‘/shrug’ and ‘/tableflip’ to save yourself a few complicated buttonpresses.