Long neglected, Messenger is finally benefiting from a new major version which partly brings it up to date. And which brings it closer to WhatsApp, with end-to-end encryption activated by default but also other practical functions.
If it had its hour of glory, in particular thanks to the fact that it is closely linked to Facebook and Instagram, Messenger, Meta’s instant messaging service, is showing the weight of the years. Above all, it suffers from the comparison with WhatsApp, the American group’s other messaging service, purchased around ten years ago. And for good reason, it lacks practical functions and, above all, a guarantee of confidentiality that all modern messaging services offer as standard: end-to-end encryption.
This is news that we no longer expected. At a time when the confidentiality of digital data has become essential, it was still difficult to imagine that a messaging service like Messenger would not use end-to-end encryption. As a reminder, this technique ensures that anyone outside a conversation cannot know its content. Certainly, encryption was available in Messenger. But so far, only in the form of an option disabled by default – and which many naturally did not think to activate in the settings. And that’s what changes today: end-to-end encryption is now enabled by default in the app! This should bring Messenger a little closer to WhatsApp, which has always used this process.
Facebook Messenger: the application will encrypt conversations… like WhatsApp
In a statement published Wednesday December 6, Loredana Crisan, head of Messenger, gave some details about this new update. “The added layer of security provided by end-to-end encryption means that the content of your messages and calls with friends and family are protected from the moment they leave your device until the moment they reach the recipient’s. This means that no one, including Meta, can see what is sent or said, unless you choose to report a message to us.”she explained.
To develop this new function, Meta engineers had to deconstruct everything. A project that lasted almost seven years. “It took years to get there because we took our time to get it right. Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts, and product managers worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger’s features from the ground up “continued Loredana Crisan in her press release.
Facebook Messenger: these new options arriving
When announcing the rollout of end-to-end encryption in conversations, Meta also announced that new options would soon be available in Messenger. Indeed, the application seems to have received a real overhaul. Users will now be able to edit their messages up to fifteen minutes after sending. Messages that have received an edit will be identified as such in the conversation.
For their part, ephemeral messages have also been retouched. After the update is deployed, they will remain visible for twenty-four hours after sending before disappearing. These include the evolution of Vanish Mode, which was introduced in 2020, and which is exclusively dedicated to discussions protected by end-to-end encryption. Finally, if the recipient takes a screenshot of this message, a notification will be sent to the sender.
In its perspective of improving the confidentiality of conversations, Meta has added another function: the possibility of deactivating receipts. This allows you not to reveal to your recipients that you have read their messages. So you can leave a – “Seen” to your friends without suffering the consequences. Improvements are also coming to audio messages: it will be possible to pause them or read them at higher reading speeds, such as x1.5 and x2.
The latest new feature announced by Meta concerns media sharing on the application. Content can be sent with much better quality than before and it will be possible to send them in large numbers thanks to the new format.Collection“. So, yes, with such changes, Messenger could regain ground on its competitors or even on WhatsApp, Meta’s other messaging application.