Meta introduces new shortcuts on Messenger, promises to uncover more later this year

Regardless of how simple they are, application updates still stir excitement within us. And if you are a frequent Messenger user, you’ll be happy to know that Meta is introducing (and will be introducing) new features and functions in its messaging app. Available upon its introduction on March 29, the new features include the two new shortcut functions: @everyone and /silent.

The @everyone shortcut will bring new life to how Messenger users are calling the attention of people in their chat groups. Unlike the old feature where typing @ will only let you tag a person one at a time, the @everyone shortcut will work like a Slack-like command where it will automatically include everyone in the group.

“@everyone is perfect for group reminders, impromptu get-togethers or when you need to gather the braintrust to crowdsource an answer to a time-sensitive question,” the Meta post reads. “This way, your message gets maximum exposure, and nobody misses out.”

The /silent shortcut, meanwhile, is the direct opposite of the first function discussed. It won’t mention or tag anyone in the group and will prevent your messages from creating that notification sound (which can honestly be annoying in particular situations).

“Sending a message with /silent removes the anxiety of interrupting someone with a non-urgent pop-up notification or disturbing them during their off hours,” the post says. “Now, you can share those late-night epiphanies in the moment without disturbing the peace, and your friends can read your message at their leisure.”

On the other hand, Meta also announced in its blog post that more shortcuts will come in the messaging app later this year… and even in the coming weeks! The first of them will be the /pay, which will be soon available to iOS and Android for Messenger users in the US. According to the company, this new shortcut will allow individuals to send and request money via Messenger chats “without fees.” (Will it come in time before Uber finds an alternative for the split-fare feature it is about to discontinue? We’ll see!)

Other updates to expect are the /gif, /shrug, and /tableflip shortcuts, which are meant to make the conversation on Messenger more lively and creative. Typing the /gif and following it with your chosen topic will present you with the gif options perfect for the thoughts you want to express. On the other hand, typing the /shrug and /tableflip shortcuts will give you the old-school text-based figures. Upset? Try flipping the table (?°?°??? ???. Indifferent? Just shrug ¯\_(?)_/¯. However, it is essential to note that these last three shortcuts would only be available on iOS (?°?°??? ???. Yet, with Meta’s promise that it has more surprises to uncover within the year, we really hope that Android users will get the same treats as iOS users are receiving.