Facebook Messenger: These are the best tips for the chat app

Facebook Messenger
These are the best tips for the chat app

Like its competitors Signal, WhatsApp and Co., Facebook Messenger also has numerous functions to offer.

© Dean Drobot / Shutterstock.com

Facebook Messenger was released for smartphones ten years ago. Here are some functions that not everyone is familiar with.

On August 9, 2011, Facebook released its own messaging app for iOS and Android smartphones for the first time. For the past ten years, the Facebook Messenger changed a lot. For the birthday of the competitor of applications like Whatsapp and signal a brief overview of several functions that not all users are likely to be familiar with even today.

Secret conversations

“Secret conversations” in Facebook Messenger means encrypted messages that are only visible to you and the person you are talking to. To start such a conversation, users have to tap the pencil symbol under “Chats” at the top right and then select “Secret” or the lock symbol. Now users can specify who should receive the message. Under the clock symbol you can also specify when a message should delete itself.

Users can also activate or deactivate the self-delete mode in chats by swiping up from the bottom. However, group chats, video and voice calls do not support this mode.

Clean up again

App users can delete conversations, photos or even individual messages for themselves. However, this does not mean that they disappear at the same time from the other person. To do this, swipe left over a conversation under “Chats” and then tap the trash can symbol. Users can press and hold individual messages and photos and delete the content there under “Remove” / “Remove for you”.

If a friend is annoying, the notifications for incoming messages can also be switched off. All notifications can be deactivated for a selected time under “Chats”, “Notifications and sounds” and “Do not disturb” or “On”. Individual conversations can be muted, so to speak, under “Chats” with a swipe to the left and the bell symbol.

Messages to friends without an app

Via Facebook Messenger, users can also send messages to friends or other contacts who have not installed the app on their smartphone themselves. All the other person needs is a Facebook account. However, the other user only sees the message when they log on to Facebook.

Nicknames for chatting with friends can also be assigned. All users have to do is tap on the name of the chat or the i-symbol and then on “Nicknames”. Every user in the chat can see and select the nickname.

What to do if someone is bothering me

Anyone who is harassed in any way by a specific person can block them. Under Chats, users can tap the name of that user and then click “Block”. Then the other person can no longer contact you. In the same menu, for example, conversations can be reported to Facebook if a user is threatened or bullied. To do this, users have to tap “Something is wrong”, select a category and then “Send feedback” and “Report conversation”.

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