Of late, Facebook has been big on experimental apps. It recently launched an app for couples, a meme creator app, social music listening and video watching apps, and a conversational app. Now, the company has launched one more app specifically for the Apple Watch using which close friends can stay in touch via quick actions or messages.

Facebook’s internal research and development group called NPE Team has launched a new Apple Watch app to send quick messages to close friends or family members. While the Facebook Messenger app is already compatible with Apple’s smartwatch, the new app Kit is created from the ground up to be relatively easier to use on the wearable device.

The Kit app works by a combination of QR codes and Facebook’s existing Messenger IM platform. You first start by scanning a QR code from your Apple Watch (or entering an access code from fb.com/devices) and select the Facebook Messenger contact that you want to be in touch with. You can then send them emojis, location, scribbles, text (via voice dictation), and voice messages. You can even respond to replies.

The central idea of the app is that you don’t have to pick up the phone to stay in touch or respond to your closed ones. In comparison, if you use the Facebook Messenger app, you’ll have to scroll through your conversations list or list of friends on the Apple Watch’s small screen, and then choose to create messages.

Facebook’s NPE Team makes experimental apps and quickly adds new features to them in order to gain new users. The Kit app could be helpful for those who are trying to not touch their smartphones during the COVID-19 situation as many times as they used to earlier. The development team’s other apps include Aux (social music), Bump (conversations), Hobbi (social video watching), Tuned (for couples), and Whale (meme generator).

Our Take

While there are many Apple Watch apps out there that are made to be in touch with your friends or family members, Kit could be a great app if your friend is connected to you via Facebook. However, Facebook launches and then closes a lot of apps every year, so there’s a chance the app might not be alive a few years down the line. Plus, it’s an Apple Watch-only app, which makes it even harder to use if your friend does not have Apple’s smartwatch.

There’s a good chance that your friend might not prefer to use this app over others that are already present on smartphones and various other platforms. What do you think of the app? Would you like to use such a niche app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.