Facebook Messenger’s encrypted chats are updated with new emoji reactions, themes, and more

Meta has announced a new update coming to the Facebook Messenger app that will further improve users’ experience. In the coming months, users will see new features like default end-to-end encryption, chat themes, custom emojis, reactions, and more.

Facebook Messenger offers end-to-end encryption on chats, a feature that hides your online conversations from third parties like hackers, law enforcement, and even Facebook itself. Now the E2EE chats are even more enhanced with features such as chat themes, chat emoji reactions, and more.

Facebook Messenger app to gain new reactions, themes, and more for end-to-end-encrypted chats

Meta is rolling out new features for the end-to-end-encrypted chats on the app which include vibrant chat themes, emojis, reactions, group profile photos, and more. Here are all the new features coming to end-to-end encrypted chats on Facebook Messenger:

Chat themes will help to personalize and enhance your conversation in end-to-end encrypted chats. Now users can set static color and gradient themes to their E2EE chats
Now users can personalize their responses with a full menu of emoji reactions. Users can now customize the quick reaction tray in end-to-end encrypted chats.
Users can add group profile photos for their different chat conversations.
Added link previews for E2EE chats so users can see where the link is taking them before opening it.
An “Active Status” feature to let people see when users are online. Users can turn this feature off if they want to improve their privacy.
And last but not least a Bubbles feature, lets users read and reply to messages while using other applications. When a user enables the feature a bubble appears whenever they receive a new message.

These features were already available on the chats without end-to-end encryption. With the new update, the aforementioned features are going to be available on the end-to-end encrypted chats too. So, users can personalize their chats without worrying about security.

Meta says the features will be expanded through global testing and these features will be available for millions of users in the coming months. However, this is a staged rollout and will be released gradually. As per the announcement, the company hopes the new changes provide users with a safe and secure place to communicate with family, friends, followers, or colleagues.

We’ve also started gradually expanding testing default end-to-end encryption for Messenger. We know people want a space to connect and they want to know that those conversations are private, safe and secure. That is why we’ve spent time building a team of talented engineers, cryptologists, designers and policy experts who are all committed to rolling out default end-to-end encryption on Messenger.