More features and more functionality still appear to be a growing trend for today’s most popular communication apps such as Facebook’s Messenger, WhatsApp and more, but user privacy and security are also more important than they have been in the past. In terms of new features, Facebook has already noted that they’re working on adding bots into Messenger that would allow their users to interact with the A.I.-based technology in a conversational manner just as they would with another person. The bots will even be able to read back context of articles or posts and order flowers. They’re also reportedly looking to add a new and more secure communication mode to the app in the near future that gives Messenger end-to-end encryption.
The encrypted communications mode is set up to be optional for users, giving them the ability to choose whether they would rather have a smarter app that can listen to their queries and requests via messaging bots and deliver an appropriate response, or turn on the encryption so that messages and chats are private and that Facebook, nor other outside parties, have the capability to read the contents of those messages.
At this time, Facebook has not confirmed whether or not they would actually be adding this new mode to the app, but it would make a little bit of sense given that Google’s recently announced Allo will have a similar functionality. With Allo, users will have access to Google’s new A.I. technology called Google Assistant which can process requests and deliver answers to questions, but Allo will also feature an incognito mode where users are able to chat privately. Adding an encrypted communications mode that is optional to Messenger would put Facebook on even ground with Google in regards to both apps, and it would essentially put control in the hands of the user on which they would rather have enabled based on which they value more. There is no current detail on when or if this feature will be made available to users or if it will be something that users will be able to hop back and forth between, although presumably users would be able to turn it on and off at their leisure.