Facebook to update Messenger for iOS with all-new design, phone number integration in coming weeks

While Facebook updated its main app with an iOS 7 design more than a month back, its other popular app, Facebook Messenger, hasn’t seen a similar update. As it turns out, Facebook is working on a major redesign for Messenger on iOS and Android with a “flat” look, but its primary feature is to make the app more competitive with the likes of WhatsApp, Kik etc. The update will let you get in touch with not just your Facebook friends, but even those people who aren’t connected with you on Facebook via their phone numbers. This is similar to the way WhatsApp, and a lot of other messaging apps work. As long as people are in your phone book, they’re your “friends”. Of course since this brings your phone number into the picture, the updated Messenger app would ask you to verify your number, associate it with your Facebook account and require you to let the app read your contacts list. The updated app will first rollout to a selected set of users on Android, and will be released on iPhone in the coming weeks. Here are a few screenshots for the updated Facebook Messenger on Android, and Facebook likely will maintain the same look for the iOS version as well. Let us know what you think of the upcoming changes to Facebook’s Messenger app in the comments below. [via The Verge] Continue reading →

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