Facebook Messenger video chat gets animated reactions, filters, masks, and effects
Facebook Messenger
is adding some new features today, all of which are about its built-in video
chat functionality. We don't know how used this is inside the app, but it sure
does look like Facebook is eager to remind people that video chatting inside Messenger
is actually a thing you can do.
If you like that,
you'll also appreciate the new animated reactions, filters, masks, and effects
you can add to your video conversations. You are even able to take screenshots
now, for both one-on-one and group video chats.
Animated reactions are just that - you choose
one of Facebook's well-known reactions (love, "haha",
"wow", sad, and angry) and that state of mind will then animate on
screen, and differently depending on whether your face is seen or not.
Filters are exactly what Instagram taught us
they should be long ago before it was busy replicating every single feature of
Snapchat. You can pick from a bunch of them in Messenger, and you get to test
what each looks like before letting others see it.
Masks are even "more fun" now,
because you get new ones to pick from. Some even have hidden effects, like
reacting to your facial movements. Animated effects like falling hearts and
twinkling stars have been added too, and they behave like masks - they stay on
the screen for the duration of the chat, unless you take them off or switch to
another one.
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