Facebook Messenger Adds Screen Sharing To Mobile Apps

Last week, Facebook announced that Messenger will now allow screen sharing on iOS and Android devices. Given the current situation in the world, video chatting is more important now than ever. So many people around the world have adopted various video chat apps both on desktop and on mobile, And the companies offering these video chat apps are realizing that lacking features is a detriment to the app’s health. While screen sharing options existed in the web version of Messenger, it had been lacking in its mobile apps. Check out Facebook’s intro video to this new feature: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=422240418733887.

A screen sharing feature has been in Google Duo as well as Microsoft Skype in their mobile apps for a while, so it was important for Facebook to match that feature in their own app as well. A few weeks ago, I wrote about updates coming to both WhatsApp and Apple’s messaging app, and in those posts, I talked about the great race for features and functionality and how important it is today more than ever to keep up with your competition. For apps that work on both iOS and Android, it is very easy for users to jump ship and use something else if you aren’t providing the experience that they want. And companies like Facebook want you to continue using the apps they provide. To do that, they have to keep innovating and adopting these features and functions.

Facebook Messenger’s Importance

The draw to Messenger as an app is the fact that Facebook still has such a large user base worldwide. Since it’s integrated into those millions of users’ accounts, Messenger itself has a massive potential base. And at the end of the day, Messenger does provide a good mobile experience, so to gain this functionality, especially since it existed in competing apps, was important.

With the expansion of Messenger as a calling and text messaging app, this screen sharing feature will also work for groups. The Rooms feature of the app, which allows for groups of up to 50, will let users now share their screen to up to 16 other people in the call. They’re working on the ability to share with all 50 users allow on a Rooms call.

Related:

• Microsoft Teams Update Promises More Natural Meeting
• Thoughts On Where Microsoft Teams Together Mode Might Go

While screen sharing isn’t a feature I utilize much, I know there are a lot of people out there who use it to quickly show the person on the other end of the call quick information or perhaps to show a quick picture without having to send the file. Just the other day, I was struggling with sending my mother a picture I took from a wedding ceremony. Had we been chatting through a video app like Messenger with screen share, I could’ve shown her within seconds.

Once again, I feel this is a move by Facebook that had to happen so that they can stay in line with the competition. In today’s remote landscape, you cannot fall behind in features and functionality or you’ll fall into irrelevance. Do you use Facebook Messenger? If so, do you use it mainly for text messaging or do you use the video function as well? Is this a feature you will be able to utilize? Let me know!