Messenger is full of new features with its latest update! On the program: sending HD photos, creating shared albums within group discussions and the possibility of sharing large files.
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 comparison with WhatsApp, the American group’s other messaging service, bought around ten years ago, which is more popular than ever. Meta, however, offered it a big update last December, finally integrating end-to-end encryption activated by default and other very practical additions, which allowed it to catch up a little. In a blog postthe company announced on April 9 a new set of multimedia features, including the ability to send high-definition photos, create shared albums within group chats and share large files of up to of 100 MB.
What’s new in Messenger: albums shared in group chats
Until now, you could only view the list of photos shared in a specific Messenger chat, without being able to group them or arrange them in any way. In short, they were scattered everywhere. With this new function, you will be able to organize them neatly in collaborative albums accessible to all participants in the discussion. To create an album in a group chat, simply select multiple photos in your chat composer, then tap “Create Album.” You can also long-press a photo already shared in the conversation. If you want to add photos to an existing album, simply tap on the “Add to album” option. All group members can view, download, add or remove album content by locating it under the new “Media” button. Suffice to say that it is much more intuitive and user-friendly!
Another new feature: you will now be able to share photos in high definition, while preserving their original quality. A function available on WhatsApp since September 2023. Simply check the “HD” option after selecting a photo in the chat input field. You can add additional photos to send multiple photos in HD. In addition, you will be able to share large files of a maximum size of 100 MB directly from conversations. You can send Word documents, PDFs, Excel sheets and zip archives by pressing the “+” button and selecting the files from your device storage. This saves you from having to go through email or a file transfer service, like Dropbox, WeTranfer or Google Drive.
Finally, you will now be able to connect with other people by simply scanning a QR code using your camera, saving you from having to type in their name or number to start chatting with them on the application. To do this, go to your profile and click on the icon at the top left. This will bring up your personal QR code. All that’s left is for the other person to scan it to automatically add you as a contact. All these options are being rolled out gradually. They should be available “in the next weeks” for all users.