Meta seems to be streamlining a lot of its other apps, which is good since it helps simplify certain tasks. Today, Messenger just announced new Messenger Shortcuts that can make communication on the platform a whole lot easier. The shortcuts are simple, universal commands you can use within chats to more easily share announcements, do transactions, activate app functionalities, and more.
As Messenger explains:
“We’re excited today to introduce shortcuts on Messenger, a new command system to help supercharge your messaging efficiency and add a little extra fun to your experience. Whether you want to notify everyone in a chat of an important announcement, pay a friend back for lunch, Messenger’s new shortcuts will get you there in the shortest number of keystrokes.”
Messenger Bypass
From the example above, Messenger comes in two forms. The first uses @ commands, like @mention to broadcast a message to all members of a group chat.
“When you start a message with @everyone, all participants in the chat will be notified. @everyone is perfect for group reminders, impromptu get-togethers, or when you need to gather the brain trust to crowdsource an answer to a time-sensitive question. This way, your message gets maximum exposure, and nobody misses out.”
The @ command could prove useful in prompting responses from all members, better emphasizing key announcements. To add, users can now also type in the following commands:
/silent – Select chat members will not receive a notification of your message/s, limiting distractions. The same command is available on Instagram as ‘@silent’.
Though still in the works, Messenger has flagged that it’ll also be adding these:
/gif – Type this in to get a range of GIFs to go along with your message.
/Pay – Makes acquiring funds from a group chat easier. Typing in /pay allows you to either send or request money without fees, which is perfect for paying a friend or dinner. The same applies when needing to get paid for, say a taxi ride.
/shrug & /tableflip – Automatically adds the corresponding emoticons, saving you from needing to either type or manually search for them.
Messenger says that it’ll be looking to add even more shortcuts soon, further streamlining and simplifying Messenger actions, allowing you to better focus on optimal messaging and communication.
The Wrap
It’s a noteworthy addition and will no doubt prove popular in no time. The @ command has already become a somewhat habitual element, with the “/” (slash) key being an even likelier candidate to replace it given that you’ll no longer need to map or press the ‘Shift’ key in conjunction. Also worth noting is the ability to be able to add personal text replacements on your device.
Again, nothing revolutionary is being introduced, but you don’t always have to announce a game-changing update to keep things relevant and interesting. At least on the accessibility front, this Messenger update helps make the Messenger experience a bit smoother and more enjoyable.
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