Facebook Messenger adds some essential features to its end-to-end encrypted chats

Meta's Facebook Messenger is gaining some new features today for its end-to-end encrypted chats, although these are still entirely optional and opt-in, unlike WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, where the end-to-end encryption is the default. That's an important distinction to keep in mind - in Messenger, you need to specifically go to the menu and open a special end-to-end encrypted chat if you want to.

If you are the type of person to do that, you'll be happy to know that from now on you aren't restricted to one-on-one chats anymore - end-to-end encrypted group chats and calls (both voice and video) are now finally possible. So now you can choose (remember, it's an active choice you need to make) to "connect with your friends and family in a private and secure way", Meta says.

For disappearing messages in end-to-end encrypted chats, you'll get a notification when someone takes a screenshot. Oh, and GIFs and stickers are finally available for end-to-end encrypted chats, as are reactions, replies, and typing indicators. Additionally, forwarding of messages is now possible.

Verified account badges will appear in end-to-end encrypted chats, and you'll also be able to save any video or image you receive by long-pressing on it, as well as edit a video or photo before you send it, in order to add stickers to it, scribble or add text, crop, and also edit the audio (for videos).

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