Facebook adds reactions and direct mentions to Messenger

One step closer towards becoming a robust messaging app; one giant leap towards adopting features typically heralded by Slack users.

First, it was Google Hangouts, and now it’s Facebook Messenger. Companies appear to be particularly drawn to those features that have made Slack so popular, but can you blame them? Slack’s communication dynamic truly is a deligh to use, and those other companies want people to say the same about their messaging apps.

Facebook has announced it’s rolling out two new functionalities to its Messenger app. Reactions will allow you to effectively react to a friend or foe’s response the same way you would a regular Facebook post. However, unlike Slack’s vast emoji offerings, Facebook limits you to seven, including a very terse thumb down emoji.

Messenger has also adopted Mentions, which seem to work the same way they would on Slack. To mention someone, type the @ symbol before their name to notify them to join the chat. This pings the person with an entirely different notification so they’re aware they’re wanted in a specific conversation. Of course, if you’re just not that into your pals, you could turn off this notification entirely.

The update to Facebook Messenger should be rolling out in the coming days.