Facebook is delivering the power of voice to its standalone Messenger for iOS and Android apps.
Thanks to the update, which was made available on Thursday, users can now send voice messages up to one minute in length to their friends.
So far, the reviews have been very positive toward the new Facebook feature – an important reality for the social network as it becomes an ever bigger force to be reckoned with in mobile.
Although Facebook certainly isn’t a pioneer in terms of this feature (WhatsApp, HeyTell, and others have done practically the same thing), Facebook’s ability to bestow the feature upon 1 billion users is definitely significant.
Although the voice-mail-style service is available globally, Facebook has much more in the works for later this year and beyond.
Facebook app users in Canada, for example, were given a feature the rest of the world is yet to see – the ability to use Facebook to make VoIP calls. If the platform thrives in Canada, there’s no telling how soon before the rest of the world gets to enjoy the same or similar features.
All told, the updated apps represent a positive sign for the social network, which is working overtime to make its mobile apps as cutting edge as possible in today’s increasingly competitive social landscape.
