Facebook Messenger was once a simple private messaging feature within the main Facebook app. But in 2014, Facebook made the unpopular move to chisel Messenger it out from the main experience, meaning friends required two separate apps. Then at its F8 developer conference last year, the social networking giant unveiled plans to expand Messenger beyond simple messaging and into a platform — one that powers a myriad of third-party services.
Today, Messenger is really starting to take on a life of its own with the news that Facebook is introducing a triumvirate of new features designed to make the messaging app the default communication tool for everyone.
Messenger Codes are, well, codes within the Settings tab in your profile that lets anyone else scan from their own Messenger profile to start a conversation with you. Yes, this could be the end of business cards as we know it, and negates the need to mess around with pen/paper, misspellings, typos, and all the rest. Messenger Codes equates to instant connections. And yes, it’s jus a little bit like Snapchat.
Above: Messenger
But if you’re not standing next to someone or if you’re not already connected with someone online to be able to share one of your little codes, you can also share links and usernames directly, either through SMS, in an email signature, or wherever.
Above: JasperMarket
While this all has significant ramifications for personal communications, it will also have a sizable effect on businesses who should also find it easier to connect with customers through the social network, and could perhaps even share a Code in an online or offline ad.
In related news, Facebook is now making Page usernames more prominent in Facebook and Messenger, and this username will soon show up directly on your Page under the main title, rather than hidden away in the URL. But it will also be preceded by the “@” symbol, which may cause some confusion if a company is marketing its Facebook username rather than its Twitter handle.
Today’s news comes one week afer Facebook and KLM airlines announced a partnership that will allow KLM travelers to receive flight confirmations, boarding cards, reminders, flight status updates, and customer service directly through the Messenger app. While it wasn’t the first commercial company to sign up to Messenger in this way, KLM’s global size and scale made the news a notable milestone in the platform’s evolution, and will likely be the first of many such partnerships to come to fruition.
In related news, Facebook also announced today that Messenger now has 900 monthly active users (MAUs), up from 800 million back in January. At this rate, Messenger should pass the magic billion mark around July time.