Facebook Messenger Now Features Boomerang and Selfie Mode

BY Evan Selleck

Published 17 Dec 2018

Facebook Messenger has a lot of features baked into it, and now it’s getting a couple more, along with some changes to Stickers.

Facebook has confirmed that Messenger is getting a new selfie mode, along with support for the looping video feature Boomerang. The selfie mode will actually automatically blur the background of an image you’re looking to capture, making sure that the person, or persons, in the foreground are the focal point. For those keeping track, that means Messenger now has five different camera modes built into it (selfie, text, Boomerang, video, and normal).

You can slide between any of those five different camera modes on a new scrolling bar that is present at the bottom of the app now.

What’s more, Facebook is building some augmented reality features into its Sticker sets. You will now be able to emphasize the old stickers that you’ve been able to send in Messenger for quite some time, giving them a bit more life as they meld with the real world (thanks to the camera). There is a camera icon next to the sticker of your choice, which will add the AR feature quickly and easily.

Facebook Messenger’s new features are starting to roll out globally today. You should see them whether or not you have Messenger’s major UI overhaul yet. Speaking of that overhaul, which is still rolling out, it’s honestly a very Facebook thing to add even more features to the camera within Messenger while at the same time rolling out a UI redesign that’s meant to simplify the whole app.

[via The Verge]