One of the lesser discussed but very prominent problem while using social media is the issue of knowing the current status of our friends. Many times, an unanswered message gives the feeling of being ignored, rejected and sometimes feels awkward at times. However, this happens because we do not know what the other person is currently doing, and such emotions discourage connections between two people.
The only solution that could probably resolve this would be to know what your friend is up to without having to ask them directly. Addressing this issue, Facebook Messenger is introducing a new feature soon that would automatically tell your contacts about your current whereabouts like spending time at a gymor driving around the street. Facebook has confirmed that this new function will soon be available with an update and would use the location, accelerometer and battery life among other features to gather information from your smartphone.
Also Read: Dark Mode On Facebook Messenger: Here’s How to Enable it!
This feature is not exactly new and unheard of as this has already been launched in Instagram’s close friends-only Auto Status in October 2019. Like Instagram, Facebook would not share the exact coordinates of your current location but will display an emoji which would best describe your current activity like biking or charging your phone.
The exact launch date has not been revealed yet, but it will be one of the most awaited features, that will remove doubts and vague thoughts as to what the other person is doing or why isn’t he/she answering to my messages. Apart from curing hesitations, this feature will also help people to coordinate for meetups as they would know what your contact is currently up to.
Also Read: How To Use Secret Conversations Feature on Facebook Messenger
Although this feature has not been released but the concept was initially thought of in 2018, and at that time, Facebook released a Manual Emoji option. The need for this new feature also arises because most of us forget to set the emoji before we change our daily tasks. Facebook then released this feature in October on Instagram first and now will do the same on its messenger app.
The exact features of the update are not known yet as it has not been released, but there are specific points that have been confirmed like users will be able to share location information, weather conditions and even what you are up to. The Auto Status will only be visible to a special list of friends that you choose. It will also include current venue(movies, airport), movement status (driving, walking), cities and battery status.
All this has been confirmed by a Facebook Messenger communications representative as first reported by TechCrunch and later tweeted.
We’re always exploring new features to improve your Messenger experience. This feature is still in early development and not externally testing. https://t.co/SAYE9BcFC7
— Alexandru Voica (@alexvoica) March 30, 2020
I feel this is a fantastic feature to let our near and dear ones what we are doing at a particular time, especially if we have forgotten to set the status manually. It will help lessen the confusions, misconceptions, misunderstandings that are already complicating our social relationships.
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