Hot topics

Messenger launches shortcuts to send silent messages, money and @mentions

shutterstock 2082773545
© Diego Thomazini/Shutterstock

Read in other languages:

Meta has just updated its Messenger (or Facebook Messenger) app with the addition of a system of commands or shortcuts to send messages discreetly, call out to everyone in a conversation, pay friends or search for GIFs.

Basically, these are tricks on Messenger to let you enter commands by simply typing text, much like on Telegram or Slack, if you're familiar with it. Only two commands are available at the moment: "@everyone" and "/silent."

The @everyone command allows you, in a group chat, to call out to all participants by tagging them all at once. A way to shout "Hey ho, shut up, I have something to say!" but in a disruptive way, as any young technocentric and dynamic in this web 3.0 must do.

The /silent command doesn't allow you to mute a participant in a discussion, but to send "discreet". Basically, when you enter this command, your message will be sent to your recipient without being accompanied by a notification, so as not to disturb people.

The goal, according to Meta, is to allow you to share your genius ideas or your delirious lyrical flights of fancy fueled by several hours of insomnia to whomever you please without waking them up at 4AM with a notification. Actually, I find the concept of not disturbing someone with a message that I myself consider unimportant quite healthy.

meta messenger shortcut command silent message
Not all features are available to everyone / © NextPit

More shortcuts planned, including one for /pay

Meta has announced that more shortcuts will arrive in the coming weeks and months, first in the US and on iOS. Thus, users should be able to make payments with the command "/pay." This would only concern payments from individual to individual and transactions would be free of charge.

There will also be a shortcut "/gif" to search for GIFs more easily or another to send emoticons like /shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ or /tableflip (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻, in short, memes from 2009 at the time of Rage Comics (who remembers I troll you?) that are so relevant in 2022 and that I personally look forward to spamming to my two contacts who still use Messenger.

I personally have not been able to test these new shortcuts because I am on Android. My sister, who is a zoomer, did not have the new shortcuts on her Messenger app. If you have an iPhone, feel free to tell me what you think about these shortcuts if you have them.

For my part, I'm not against giving users more control over their messaging applications. In fact, I find that adding commands deepens the user experience (in addition to making me feel like a hacker who has mastered the code).

What shortcut would you like to have on your messaging application? For me, it would be an /automatic reply with a coupon for not going out or an @friends to finally find some (/insertsademoji).

Source: Meta

 The Best Portable Projectors in 2024

  The best choice The best value for money The best for less The all-rounder The challenger The best laser TV
Product
Image Xgimi Halo+ Product Image Dangbei Neo Product Image Technaxx TX-127 Product Image Samsung Freestyle Product Image Nebula Anker Capsule 3 Laser Product Image Formovie Theater Product Image
Offers

To find out more, browse through our comprehensive Portable Projectors buying guide.

Go to comment (0)
Antoine Engels

Antoine Engels
Senior Editor

Black belt in specs sheet analysis. OnePlus fanboy in (slow) remission. Average estimated reading time of my articles: 48 minutes. Tech deals fact-checker in my spare time. Hates talking about himself in the 3rd person. Dreams he was a gaming journalist in another life. Doesn't get the concept of irony. Head of editorial for NextPit France.

To the author profile
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
No comments
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing