Meta has just announced their “biggest set of improvements to Messenger since it was first launched in 2011.” Firstly, both Messenger and Facebook will now have end-to-end encryption (EE2E) by default for private chats and calls, which means no third party can pry into your private communication—not even Meta itself. The importance of end-to-end encryption cannot be overstated, especially after the Sunbird-powered Nothing Chats botched their encryption.
Once updated to the latest version, users on Messenger will be asked to set up a PIN in case they need to recover messages on a new device later. The global rollout will take months to complete as the app has over a billion users, but Meta has yet to announce when the update will begin and how long it will take for it to be fully operational.
Source: Meta.According to Meta, EE2E has been in the app since 2016, but only as part of the Secret Conversations function. Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted the platform has begun working on bringing this feature as a regular function since 2019. Furthermore, as it moves forward with updating security, Meta said it also plans “to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up.“
In addition to a set of privacy and safety features, Messenger will also improve the image quality of photos and videos, as Meta is currently testing HD media sharing with a small test group before releasing it “in the coming months.” Additionally, the app will also be receiving other tools that are seemingly inspired by WhatsApp, namely the ability to edit already sent messages (for up to 15 minutes after sending), voice message playback outside the chat or app, read receipts control, and disappearing messages after 24 hours – something made available to all chats as end-to-end encryption has become the default.
