technology news: 20 awesome Facebook Messenger tips and tricks you may not know

Everyone and their mom is on Facebook, so it should come as no surprise Facebook Messenger is the second most popular messaging app in the world. With 1.3 billion monthly active users, the app is only second to WhatsApp (1.6 billion).

21 essential WhatsApp tricks and tips you should know

If so many of you are using the app, you should make the best of it, so here are some awesome Facebook Messenger tips and tricks.

You can use nicknames!

You don't need to look at serious names all the time. Facebook Messenger makes it easy to set nicknames to your contacts.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Hit the i icon on the top-right corner of the conversation.
Select Nicknames.
Select the contact you want to give a nickname to.
Type the nickname.
Select Set.

Mute conversations

As much as you love your friends and family, they can get too chatty. I do this when I need to focus on something or can't be looking at messages every few seconds.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Hit the i icon on the top-right corner of the conversation.
Select Notifications.
Select Mute Conversation.
Select for how long you want to mute the conversation.

Change conversation colors

Color coding your conversation can make it easier to identify contacts and give each chat a personal touch.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Hit the i icon on the top-right corner of the conversation.
Select Color.
Pick a color or emoji for the conversation.

Turn on Dark Mode

Dark Mode will not only make Facebook Messenger look cooler, but if you happen to have a phone with an AMOLED screen, it can save battery too. It's also easier on the eyes when chatting it up in the dark.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Tap on your profile picture in the top-left corner.
Toggle Dark Mode on.

Don't have a Facebook account? Use your phone number!

You don't need to have a Facebook account to use Facebook Messenger. Install the app and register with your phone number.

Use Messenger.com to chat from any browser

Whether you are at work, in a meeting, or simply prefer using your computer to chat, Messenger.com is a great substitute to the official apps or Facebook page. Simply head over to Messenger.com catch up on your convos.

Send audio messages

Audio messages are available for those times when typing a long message is too annoying.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Find the microphone next to the text box.
Tap and hold the microphone icon while talking. Let go when finished.

Use scan codes to add contacts

Adding a contact is made easier with the use of scan codes.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Tap on your profile picture in the top-left corner.
Tap on your profile picture, which should be surrounded by alien-looking code.
Your scan code will show up.
Select the Scan code tab to use your phone's camera to scan another person's code.

Use Facebook Messenger as your SMS app

Many of you already use Facebook Messenger for the majority of your messaging needs, so might as well use it for SMS too. This feature only works on Android, but that isn't a problem for most people reading this site.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Tap on your profile picture in the top-left corner.
Select SMS.
Toggle the feature on.
You will be asked to verify your decision. Press Yes.

Play games

Talking is just one way to have fun with your contacts. If you want to take your interaction to the next level, Facebook Messenger has a plethora of games at your disposal.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Tap on the four-dot menu button at the bottom of the screen.
Select Games.
Look through all the games available. When you have chosen one, just hit Play next to it.

Send your location

Sending your location to a friend is much easier than trying to explain where you are.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Tap on the four-dot menu button at the bottom of the screen.
Select Location.
You can share your live location for 60 minutes by pressing the large button in the bottom.
If you want to pinpoint a specific location, press the red location button in the bottom-right corner.
Select your location of preference and select Send Pin.

Make voice and video calls

This may seem like a basic feature, but I have met plenty of people who didn't know it existed. To start a voice or video call follow the next steps.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
On the top-right corner you will see phone and video camera icons.
The phone icon is for making audio calls. The video camera icon is for making video calls.
These options are also available if you tap on the i menu.

React to messages

You don't need to type out a whole message to let your friends know how you feel about something they wrote.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Find the message you want to react to.
Press and hold on the message. A series of reactions to choose from will show up.

Reply to a specific message

Conversations can get heated and cover multiple topics very quickly. Sometimes you respond to questions way too late, or answer to multiple messages simultaneously. Help avoid confusion by letting people know which message you are responding to.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Find the message you want to reply to.
Press and hold on the message. A series of reactions to choose from will show up. Tap on the arrow in the far right.
Send your reply.

Delete messages

I've sent plenty of messages I shouldn't have. Thankfully, Facebook Messenger now allows you to delete them.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Find the message you want to delete.
Press and hold on the message.
The Remove option will show up at the bottom-right corner. Select it.
You can select Remove for You. This will delete the message only on your side of the conversation.
A Remove for Everyone option will show up if the other person hasn't read the message yet.

Create a poll

Trying to reach a decision in a group chat can turn into an endless argument. The easiest way to handle it is by casting a vote, and Facebook Messenger makes that easy with Polls.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a group conversation.
Tap on the four-dot menu button at the bottom of the screen.
Select Polls.
Fill in your question and possible answers.
Hit Create poll.
Polls are also available in Stories, withing the Stickers section.

Share a Story!

Stories are all the rage these days, and Facebook Messenger has them too. For those behind the times, a Story is pretty much a look into your daily adventures. You can shoot an image or video (up to 20 seconds long) and share it with your friends and fans. These can be adorned with stickers, drawings, typing, and special effects. Additionally, you can select who gets to see it.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Find the Your Story section right under the search bar.
Hit the + sign on the left.
Select an image, shoot one using the camera, or type out text.
Use drawings, letters, stickers, and other features to adorn your Story.
Send it off by tapping on the button in the lower-right corner.
You can also use the camera icon on the top-right corner of the Facebook Messenger homepage.

Secret conversations are encrypted

Sensitive conversations require more private chats. Facebook Messenger doesn't want you leaving, so it has provided Secret Conversations. These are encrypted. You can even set a timer on messages so they will auto-destruct after a specified period of time.

As always, privacy comes with sacrifices. Going into Secret Conversation mode will disable most fun features in Messenger, including GIF support, payments, group messages, voice calls, and video calls.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Tap the i icon in the top-right corner.
Select Go to Secret Conversation.

View message requests from strangers

When you don't have a contact added, chats get sent to message requests. I prefer not to deal with strangers on Facebook, but sometimes people I know get thrown in my message requests. It's good to check every now and then.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Tap the People option in the bottom of the screen.
Select the icon with the person and the + sign in the top-right corner.
Select Requests.
Any messages coming from strangers should appear here.

Block a contact

Whether you are dealing with stalkers, enemies, criminals, or just people you don't like, you can block them easily.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.
Select a conversation.
Tap the i icon in the top-right corner.
Select Block.
You can now select whether you want to block this person on Messenger and/or on Facebook.