Screenshots for the upcoming Facebook Messenger iPhone app have turned up online. 9to5Mac received the images from a “reliable source,” who remained unnamed. They report that the app, which is currently in beta, is mostly a larger version of the iPhone app. There is no word yet on when the app may be released.
Just like the iPhone app, the iPad app will feature normal messaging with friends as well as a group conversation feature. The app will also feature push notifications, so that messages arrive immediately, instead of waiting for the app to refresh. There is also the neat ability to see your friends on a map, assuming they have their location tracking enabled.
9to5Mac also reports that Facebook is currently working on an updated version of the Facebook Messenger for iPhone that will implement Skype video chat, and that an updated Facebook Messenger app for Android phones with “similarly new functionality” will follow soon after. Of course, video chat for Facebook Messenger is a feature that has been rumored since late last year. Still, both of those updates are rumored to come sometime this summer. While it is unknown whether the new iPad app will have Skype calling, one of the screenshots released shows notifications for a “missed call” beside the Facebook video call symbol. I can’t imagine Facebook would leave such a feature out of their new tablet app, so expect to be Facebook Skyping on a iPad sometime this fall.
Are you excited for the new Facebook Messenger features? Leave a comment below and let me know.
(picture courtesy of 9to5Mac)