Popular instant chat app Messenger has recently launched a new shortcuts feature, which is a command system similar to Slack’s commands. With it, you can tag everyone in a group chat and silence your messages so they won’t be notified. This is currently available on both Messenger for Android and Messenger for iOS.
Even with Messenger being one of the most widely-used communication apps, Meta still continues to make improvements to its features in order to stay in the competition. The addition of chat commands isn’t a new concept but it’s definitely going to set Messenger in a more efficient and creative direction.
There are two shortcuts you can do so far: “@everyone” and “/silent.” The former is similar to the current “@” feature that lets you tag someone but instead, it tags every member of a group chat. Meanwhile, the latter is for sending messages that aren’t urgent and so won’t disturb anyone with pop-ups or notifications. This is great for groups with different time zones.
Messenger plans to roll out more shortcuts in the coming weeks. So far, four have been revealed: “/pay”, “/gif”, “/shrug”, and “/tableflip.” Coming soon to iOS and Android in the US, “/pay” will be Messenger’s own built-in payment system, letting you send and request money in your one-on-one chats. “/Gif” is simply an easier way to access the GIF feature and is coming soon on iOS.
Meanwhile, “/shrug” and “/tableflip” are for instantly pasting the popular kaomojis, “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” and “(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻”, respectively in your message—and are also coming to iOS for now. Messenger plans to add more shortcuts within the year, but there’s no news yet on when they’ll be available on PC.
These new shortcuts are bound to make things much easier for users—if not a good reason to prefer Messenger over its competitors. In case you’re interested in knowing more about the app, here’s a guide on how to use Facebook Messenger.
Image credit: Messenger News
