Facebook Debuts Message Reactions and Mentions for its Messenger App

[MacRumors]

Facebook's Messenger app for iOS devices was today updated with a new Message Reactions feature, which is similar to the Tapback features introduced in Apple's Messages app in iOS 10.

Message Reactions are designed to allow Facebook users to react to a message with an emoji symbol to express an emotion without needing to type out a response. Users can choose from emoji like thumbs up, thumbs down, a sad face, an angry face, a smiling face, and more.

To add a reaction to an incoming message, press and hold on the message and choose an emoji. For those who use Apple's Messages app, this action is already familiar.

The emoji reaction is added to whichever message it's attached to in the form of a small animation. Messenger Reactions work on one on one conversations and group conversations, and can be used on text, photos, stickers, videos, and more.

Also new in Messenger is "Mentions," designed to allow users to notify someone when they've been mentioned in a conversation. This is, of course, mainly useful for group conversations that have multiple participants.

A Mention can be sent by using the "@" symbol before someone's name, and the person who has been mentioned will receive a notification.

Both Mentions and Reactions are rolling out to the Messenger app today.

Facebook Messenger for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Facebook Debuts Message Reactions and Mentions for its Messenger App

 

[StevenPG]

Any free updates are always welcome

 

[jerry16]

A Mention can be sent by using the "@" symbol before someone's name, and the person who has been mentioned will receive a notification.

Someone, somewhere is going to get burnt by this

 

[jdawgnoonan]

Apple vs Google, who cares, both great. Screw Facebook. No. Won't do it. I never wanted a separate app to begin with and I still don't. There is nothing they can do to entice me, and if my friends are too cheap to have a proper SMS plan: Call or email. I don't want another stupid messaging app because I don't want to hear from you bad enough to install it.

 

[v0lume4]

Someone, somewhere is going to get burnt by this

Like the time I was texting this girl named Ariel, while simultaneously texting my friend Andrew about this girl Ariel. You can guess where the story goes from there.

But man, when my entire Facebook friends list is linked up to the messenger app (if or when I want to use it), the possibility of chaos is immense!

 

[swm]

Like the time I was texting this girl named Ariel, while simultaneously texting my friend Andrew about this girl Ariel. You can guess where the story goes from there.

now you're just somebody i used to know...

 

[v0lume4]

now you're just somebody i used to know...

SOMEBODYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[seanmcbay]

Apple vs Google, who cares, both great. Screw Facebook. No. Won't do it. I never wanted a separate app to begin with and I still don't. There is nothing they can do to entice me, and if my friends are too cheap to have a proper SMS plan: Call or email. I don't want another stupid messaging app because I don't want to hear from you bad enough to install it.

You're quite passionate on something that's not a huge deal at all.

 

[HJM.NL]

Only wish Apple made iMessage cross platform long ago or able to talk with other messengers. What's the use of iMessage when you can only use it for 10% of the users? Apple can put as much gimmicks in messages as they want but that won't change the fact only 10% are able to use it. In fact, by this reason I think from that 10% only 1% uses it. They made a big deal out of the new possibilities of messages when it came out. I predicted back then that it would be copied by others in a matter of months. And Facebook did.... at least Facebook is cross platform.

Please Apple, put your resources into things that really matter!

http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-iphone-decade-apples-transition-from-steve-jobs-to-tim-cook/