Even though you lot probably use Facebook Messenger every day, we guarantee in that location are still some Facebook Messenger secrets you don't know near. With that in listen, here are some Facebook Messenger tricks and features you should try right now.

1. Make Voice and Video Calls

Facebook Messenger isn't just for text letters. It'due south uncomplicated to outset a voice or video call past using the buttons at the peak of your chat window.

Y'all tin too leave a vocalization message whenever you like. If the person you want to talk to isn't around, just leave them a message they can mind to later.

If you always demand to permit your friends know exactly where you are, jump into a chat with them, hitting the four dots in the lower-left corner, and choose Location. Your friend will instantly get a map showing your precise position.

Of grade, there'southward a stiff privacy argument against revealing your location to Marking Zuckerberg. But residue assured you lot tin can delete your location data from Facebook if you lot wish.

three. Add Nicknames on Facebook Messenger

You've probably got a few friends who go by a nickname that's completely unrelated to their bodily proper noun on Facebook. Yous perchance besides have friends that accept inverse surnames over the years, yet you only seem to think their one-time names.

Spare yourself the confusion and apply Messenger's nickname feature to help remind you who all of these people are. But open a chat, tap on their name, and y'all should see the option to add a nickname.

4. Use Stickers, GIFs, and Thumbs-Ups

Facebook has integrated a whole bunch of stickers for you to utilise in messages; many unlike styles are available. Y'all can choose your favorites to keep them readily available.

If stickers aren't your affair, Facebook has integrated Giphy into Messenger, and so you lot tin find any GIF you like and insert it in a few clicks. It's all very easy.

In that location's also a quick thumbs-up button you can use for a elementary reaction to a message. Most people don't realize you tin can as well resize it by property the thumb before yous post.

Yous should also make yourself aware of what the circles hateful in Facebook Messenger.

5. Use Facebook Messenger as a Boarding Laissez passer

Some airlines requite passengers the option to receive their flight updates and bank check-in notifications through Facebook Messenger. And when yous arrive at the airport, you can so utilise Facebook Messenger equally your boarding pass.

Better nonetheless, if yous need to re-book your flight you can also exercise it all via Messenger.

6. Send Money Through Facebook Messenger

Do you lot need to pay a friend dorsum for something? Then merely swoop into Messenger and pay them direct.

Click the four dots and cull Payments. The first time you exercise this you'll need to connect a debit card to your business relationship.

7. Start a Group Conversation

Instead of relaying your conversations between friends, start a grouping chat with all the relevant parties so you can sort things out at once. Anybody gets all the updates and no-1 misses anything of import.

You can besides name your groups and pin them to the pinnacle, so if you've got a long-term group chat going with your family members or your bowling friends you lot can keep information technology organized and easy to observe.

8. Mute Messenger Notifications

If you lot've always been in an active group chat, y'all've probably noticed it can exist a special class of torture. Notifications for every unmarried message tin really start to get on your fretfulness.

Fix the trouble by muting the whole group chat. You lot can mute conversations for a set length of time—15 minutes, one hr, eight hours, 24 hours—or you tin can choose Until I plough information technology back on for an indefinite period of fourth dimension.

Remember, you can as well disable Messenger notifications entirely past using Android or iOS'southward native settings menu.

9. Change Conversation Colour

Sick of Smurfy blue? Click on a contact and choose Theme . This volition alter the chat colour for everyone in the chat, fifty-fifty if it'southward a group chat.

Yous can also format your text differently in Facebook Messenger.

ten. Bank check Letters From Not-Friends

By default, y'all only see messages from your contacts, even though occasionally you may exist sent a message from a stranger. If you want to check these messages, caput to Settings >  Message Requests.

The conversations are divided into messages from people you lot may know and messages that Facebook has identified every bit spam.

eleven. Remove Previews

If you've got your notifications showing up on your lock screen, it'due south a really good idea to stop Messenger from displaying the content of your messages in those notifications. Y'all don't actually desire your friends to be able to encounter private chats while your telephone is on the table in front of them.

To remove previews, just head into the settings and uncheck the Notification Previews option.

12. Take Photos in Messenger

Instead of taking a photo with your phone'due south photographic camera app, then uploading information technology to Messenger, y'all tin really just click on the camera icon to get the job washed. Take a quick selfie or a photo of something you demand to share and it will transport instantly.

You can also concord the button to tape a video with the same tool, which has options to use the rear photographic camera, expand your view, and more.

xiii. Draw on Your Pictures

Not everyone is content with a simple photo. Sometimes yous demand to describe on it or write a bit of information to brand it clear what the receiver is supposed to learn from the image. And so, click Edit while viewing your epitome and add whatever modifications are required.

14. Play Basketball on Messenger

If yous want a quick game of basketball with a friend—all you need to do is send a basketball emoji to them, then tap on the message. From at that place you just swipe to become it into the hoop, which will gain yous a indicate. When you eventually miss the hoop, your game will terminate and your score is tallied and sent to your friend so they tin can attempt to beat it.

It is merely ane of many instant games that Facebook has baked into the platform.

fifteen. Use Messenger Without Facebook

Not anybody has a Facebook business relationship, equally unbelievable as that may seem. If you want to apply Facebook Messenger without a Facebook business relationship, just install the Messenger app on your smartphone and information technology will identify y'all by your phone number.

Facebook Messenger vs. WhatsApp

The Messenger versus WhatsApp debate is showing no signs of going away. Most people will naturally gravitate toward one of the two. A major gene seems to be which app your friends apply.

Of course, both are owned past Facebook, so it might not be long until the 2 services are rolled together in some form anyway!

The 6 Best Facebook Messenger Alternatives for Private Chats

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About The Author

Dan Price (1605 Articles Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Manager since July 2020. Attain out to him for inquires about sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and whatever other forms of partnership. You can also find him roaming the show floor at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hello if y'all're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.

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