Facebook re-engineers Messenger iphone app to run faster, nonetheless it will be without some features when it updates
The world’s biggest social media platform has changed among its most significant mobile apps to create it run faster as it prepares to integrate messaging across its portfolio.
Facebook, which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, has redesigned its Messenger iphone app on iOS to create it faster and simpler.
There is already a lightweight version of Messenger, fittingly called Messenger Lite.
That version of the application was primarily suitable for customers in developing nations like India, where persons can run into trouble running the key app due to less powerful devices and more restrictive data plans.
Messenger Lite doesn’t have as much features as the entire version of the app, but App Store reviews advise many think that’s a good thing.
Features like Facebook stories appearing together with your chat list and advertisings appearing in your conversations aren’t necessarily kinds that people like. Almost all of the persons who download the app are just using it to message their friends and don’t want to see advertisements in their inbox.
“1.3 billion persons all over the world spend time on Messenger interacting and conducting commerce with businesses and brands they love,” Facebook said on its website as though that’s the reason persons use the app.
Unfortunately for Australian iOS users (the dominant platform here by a margin of about 8 per cent according to StatsCounter GlobalStats), Messenger Lite isn’t on iOS enjoy it is on Android.
But there is some relief in a forthcoming update to Messenger on iOS.
Facebook has made a smaller and faster version of the iphone app that it claims starts twice as fast, is 25 % of the size and contains 84 % less code.
Messenger vice-president of engineering Raymond Endres said speed was an important factor for communication.
“People turn to messaging software throughout the day in which to stay touch with the people they care about so it’s important the iphone app loads quickly and is easy to use,” he said.
Mr Endres also warned “a few features will be temporarily unavailable, but we’re attempting to bring them back soon”.
He didn’t say those.
The change isn’t nearly making the iphone app quicker.
Facebook is integrating messaging functions across all its platforms to allow them to all work together.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined his vision for messaging in the beginning of last year.
The focus will be on interoperability for the vast amounts of users on the different apps, with end-to-end encryption and, of course, a fashionable concentrate on privacy.
It might actually be counterintuitive on the privacy front in terms of data sharing between programs that require different levels of personal information to make an account.
WhatsApp only requests your phone number, while Facebook has a lot more information on you if you’ve been using it for days gone by decade that it’s been widely popular.
We’re yet to observe how the interoperability between software and encryption will actually work, and Facebook’s implementation could be several years away.
There are already plenty of other messaging options that offer encryption for many who wish to use them.
The problem, and Facebook’s distinct advantage in this arena, gets everyone you need to message to use them too.
Source: www.news.com.au
