Meta is rolling out a new ‘Calls’ tab globally in its Messenger app for iOS and Android users. The new tab will keep track of each call you make or receive in the app in one place and make it easier to connect calls with one tap. Also, for people who don’t regularly use the feature, it adds a clear reminder that they can use the app for voice or video calls in addition to text-based messaging.
In 2014, Facebook pulled messaging out of the main Facebook app, pushing mobile users to download a separate one to continue using the feature as part of its push to make Messenger a singular experience. The video call feature arrived in 2015, followed by cross-app messaging with Instagram and eventually cross-app group chats. Most recently, it added new shortcuts, including an @everyone tag to alert everyone in a conversation or a /silent switch to send a message that won’t cause notifications to pop up for everyone else in the group.
According to Meta, both audio and video calls have increased by 40 percent compared to early 2020, with 300 million calls made every day. The Messenger app first introduced voice calls in 2013, and this latest feature takes it one step further toward acting as a complete communication hub. There’s plenty of competition for apps you can use to call friends and family (like your phone app, Meta’s own WhatsApp, or whatever Google is doing right now), but the numbers suggest it’s a go-to option for many people.
