Meta announces new features for Messenger

Messenger introduces shared albums for collaborative photo collections, HD photos for high-quality visuals, and QR codes for easier connection. Users can now share files up to 100MB.

Meta announces new features for Messenger
Image: Meta

Meta has unveiled a series of updates designed to improve the user experience within the Messenger application. These updates focus on fostering collaboration, enriching visual content, and streamlining connection methods.

Shared Albums for Collaborative Memories

A prominent addition is the introduction of shared albums. This feature allows users within a Messenger chat to collaboratively create and contribute to a collection of photos and videos. Shared albums appear as a tile within the chat window, enabling any chat member to seamlessly add their own media. This fosters a shared space for reminiscing over special occasions, group trips, or any memorable event.

A image of two phone screens showing how to create a shared album in Messenger.
Image: Meta
A image of a phone screen showing how to create a shared album in Messenger.
Image: Meta

Elevated Visual Experience with HD Photos

Messenger now supports sending high-definition photos. Users can select an image and activate the HD toggle within the composer window before sending. This ensures that the recipient receives the photo in its original high quality, ideal for sharing detailed artwork, vacation snapshots, or any visually-rich content.

A phone screen in Messenger showing someone selecting a photo to send.

Simplified Connection with QR Codes

Messenger has reintroduced the ability for users to access and share their unique QR code. This code can be scanned by others to quickly establish a connection within the app. While QR code functionality has been available in various forms since 2016, this update simplifies the access process, residing conveniently within the user's settings.

Two phone screens showing a Messenger account and how they can use a QR code to connect.
Image: Meta

Expanded File Sharing Capabilities

Messenger has increased its file size limit to 100MB, allowing users to share a wider range of documents and media. This update aligns Messenger more closely with other Meta-owned platforms like WhatsApp, while also opening doors for new use cases within the app. Supported file formats include Word documents, PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, and zip archives.

Two phone screens showing how to share a file in Messenger.
Image: Meta

Conclusion

These updates represent a significant step forward for Messenger, enhancing its capabilities for collaborative content creation, high-quality visual communication, and streamlined user connection. As the emphasis on private messaging continues to grow, these features offer valuable tools for users to engage and interact more effectively within the platform.