Los Angeles — In a calculated move to capture the mobile audience, a couple weeks back, Facebook Messenger for Android was updated with some pretty cool improvements to the app’s overall functionality and its looks. And over the weekend, the social networking giant Facebook has once again tweaked its Messenger app for iOS, adding support for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, along with a swipe-left feature it had earlier brought to the Android app, and other changes.
Surprisingly, the Facebook environment on its standalone Messenger app for iOS adds support for the latest version of Apple’s iconic gadget, the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, while also adding some useful features for chat addicts along with other tweaks.
If you are the type of person who loves to constantly chatter back and forth with friend via Facebook and have never tried the stand-alone app for iOS, now is the better opportunity than ever before!
Bubblicious. (Credit: Facebook)
As a matter of fact, this update brings both the iPhone and the iPod touch up to a new generation while the iPad will just have to wait a bit longer. Along with a swipe-left feature it had earlier brought to the Android app, and other changes, the latest updated apart from general speed improvements, the Messenger app now lets you swipe left to instantly get access to your favorite Facebook chat buddies, as well as to see who is online. The design of Messengers’ conversations has also been updated with chat bubbles — giving the app a look more reminiscent of IM applications and Apple’s iMessage.
However, it is now an even more useful way for Facebook users to chat with their friends without dealing with all of the features in the company’s bigger app. But on that note, you might also want to note that this version still lacks one of the only plusses that the Android version has over iOS: in-app SMS messaging integration from the rest of your phone. You have got a fully updated user interface here that does bring the app up to the already lovely looking Android version of the app, but SMS integration still does not exist.
Another nifty cool modifications that lets users pin the people they message with most to the top of their favorites list. The chat interface has also been given a makeover with speech bubbles; some bug fixes have been made; and, according to the iTunes Preview page for the app, the update brings “improved speed and reliability.”
Facebook Messenger is fast becoming the best go-to app for portable messaging, especially for groups. The social media giant recently said it is determined to update its mobile apps frequently, promising iOS updates every eight weeks and Android updates every four weeks.
Going forward, with recently-added read receipts and reliable push notifications, as well as desktop-to-mobile sync, Messenger has become an important addition to Facebook’s mobile arsenal.
Download Facebook Messenger for iOS.