Facebook Messenger has announced a whole range of new safety feature updates. As launched in a company blog post this will help keep users safe on the platform. It will also help users manage unwanted messages.
Facebook has worked hard over the past few months to update messenger and unify it with Instagram direct messages. Initially, these updates focussed on user experience and the visual appearance of the app. Now it looks like Facebook has switched to improve the security elements of the platform.
Some of these updates included a ‘vanish mode’ which came to both Messenger and Instagram. This feature allowed users to messages that would then disappear after a short period of time.
Prior to this, Messenger received a total revamp in terms of design and feel. This was designed to help unify Messenger and Instagram messaging that bit more in terms of looks.
With safety and security now on the agenda for Messenger, users now have a range of new features to deal with unwanted messages and spam.
Facebook Messenger brings in new safety updates to target spam
Facebook has used Safer Internet Day to remind users of the safety features the platform has introduced. Essentially, Messenger is expanding the options users have in message requests.
This will make it easier for users to deal with unwanted messages and spam. The company also said it wants to make it easier for users to “report abuse and harassment” by providing “better feedback” on the status of messages you have reported.
These new options on message requests make it much easier to mass-delete messages. It also allows users to block suspicious accounts in a much simpler manner.
Many of the safety features Facebook highlights in the post launched last summer as reported by Engadget. These include App Lock, which is tied to your phone’s biometric security. This allows you to add another layer of security to your Messenger account.
Users also already had the ability to decide who could send you a message request. This gives users a strong degree of control when managing unwanted messages. New features that make the process of deleting and blocking accounts easier just got a step further in this regard.
Overall it is good to see Facebook highlight the safety features it has in place and try to educate users on how to use them. Hopefully, this will see a greater uptake in their application and in turn the safety of those online.