Facebook Planning Messenger App Overhaul With Focus On Stories And Friends

Facebook has planned a major redesign to its Messenger. The Discover tab will be removed and emphasis will be on simplifying the experience of the user.

According to a TechCrunch report, three years ago, Chatbots were crucial to Facebook’s strategy when it came to Messenger. But, now, to move towards simplicity and speed, Facebook Messenger is ditching the Discover tab.

These changes are being made to reorient the users to spend more time with friends and consuming content. Facebook wants users to move away from chatbots for connecting with businesses, shopping houses and playing games.

In Discover, users could get easy access to game, brands and various other businesses. It is the home for the chatbots. Social media director Jeff Higgins provided TechCrunch with screenshots of the Facebook Messenger update.

The publication contacted Messenger about these changes and the spokesperson revealed that the update will be rolling out soon. The spokesperson also confirmed the split of People tab and removal of Discover from the app.

The update is a phase-wise rollout as many have started to receive it. The new Messenger is heading towards becoming like WhatsApp, which emphasizes simple and quick person-to-person or person-to-group communication. Facebook Messenger is redesigned to bring in the forefront Stories with advertisements. This is one of the ways to monetize the app.

In other Facebook news, the social media giant will let users create 3D photos out of old 2D photos. “This system infers the 3D structure of any image, whether it is a new shot just taken on an Android or iOS device with a standard single camera, or a decades-old image recently uploaded to a phone or laptop,” the blog post reads.

According to Facebook, this will make 3D photo technology accessible to countless users who use single-lens camera tablets or phones. “It also allows everyone to experience decades-old family photos and other treasured images in a new way, by converting them to 3D. People with state-of-the-art dual-camera devices can benefit, too, since they can now use their single, front-facing camera to take 3D selfies.”