Read More: Update to Facebook Messenger Mimics Snapchat

1. Use Messenger Without a Facebook Account

Just like with WhatsApp, you can join Facebook Messenger only using your mobile number.

2. Chat with Companies and Groups

When on mobile, you can easily start chats with companies and even learn new skills. Open Messenger on your Android and look at the bottom of your screen. Click on the hexagon-shaped icon on the far right to get started. These ChatBots can help you pick out gifts, improve your vocabulary, answer company-specific questions, and save you money on trips.  

3. Search Through Conversations

Whenever you’re on your PC and need to look back through your message history for a specific piece of information, open your chat in Messenger. Click on the settings icon on the pop-up chat screen to access this. You’ll then see a “Search in Conversation” option on the right-hand side of your screen.

4. Mark Items as Unread

If you accidentally open a message you are not ready to reply to, easily mark it as unread so that you remember to return to it later. To do this, open Messenger on your PC, click on the settings icon, and select “Mark as Unread.”

5. Make Plans with Your Contacts

Create calendar events in your chat windows and have Facebook remind you and your friends of plans. On mobile Messenger, open a conversation, click on the information logo on the top left, and select “Plan.” Select the date and time and it will automatically appear in your chat window. Click on the bubble that appears to add a plan name and location.

6. Securely Send Money

Pay your friends back for dinner or request money from the guy who’s buying your old phone with just a few clicks. Simply open up your chat window, select the “$” sign, and enter the amount. No bank account or card information is exchanged. Just set up a payment and receiving method in your personal settings.

However, Facebook has a long way to go if they wish to reclaim dominance over the messenger market. WhatsApp already has over 1 billion users worldwide. WeChat is the mobile messenger system popular in China. Line is a common messenger system in Japan, and Kakao is used widely throughout South Korea. There is hope for Facebook Messenger when you consider its other unique innovations, though. For instance, you can now conveniently request an Uber for you or your friend through the application. The messenger app can also show GIFs.

Read more: Your Digital Footprint and Why it Matters

Facebook Messenger has yet to bring in any profit, because Facebook does not try to collect revenue until a feature accumulates 1 billion users. In late 2015, Facebook Messenger fell short with 700 million users.

Facebook is already looking ahead at future endeavors that could help Facebook Messenger profit if it does reach 1 billion users. At Facebook’s developer conference in April, the idea of “bots” was introduced. These bots would represent local agencies that would message a user if they were nearby. The bots would utilize algorithms to tailor their messages to the desired audience. There could also be news bots that would message their frequent viewers whenever there is breaking news.

Facebook is constantly attempting to innovate their messenger so that they can surpass the competition. Facebook Messenger’s encryption, among several other innovations presented by Facebook, should be sufficient to keep Facebook Messenger competitive.

The Bitmoji app is soaring in popularity. It makes sense. After all, Snapchat purchased Bitstrips earlier this year for a whopping $100 million dollars; this week, Snapchat announced that Bitmoji would now be usable from within the app. That’s huge news for Bitmoji fans.

So, what are they, really? A Bitmoji is an avatar that represents you. It’s an avatar of a more personalized nature than emoji. For example, you get to decide what hair, eyebrows, face shape, clothing, even facial lines, and make-up (just to name a few), that you want for your avatar. Some people prefer to make theirs as similar to themselves as possible, while other people go for an alter-ego kind of look. Either way, the choice is yours.

Read More: Using Emoji Videos and Photos on Snapchat

Why You Need a Bitmoji Right Now

It doesn’t end there. Bitmoji represent different emotions. They may have anger or sadness. They could show a love for food or even riff on various internet memes. There are many options and take expressing yourself via text or chat to a new, more personal level, than the simple emoticons.

To get started with Bitmoji is simple. Head to the app store so you can install the Bitmoji keyboard on your Android device. From there, you will look for it within your chat apps. After it is ready to go, you can find it in your list of shortcuts.

The perks of using Bitmoji from within Snapchat is a fun feature: friendmoji! These are hilarious ways to feature you and a friend with two person bitmojis.

With Bitmoji, you aren’t limited to only one particular platform or text messaging. You can use your Bitmoji from Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Google Hangouts, and Whatsapp.

Connect your Snapchat and Bitmoji accounts:

1. Get into your Snapchat app.
2. Click on the ghost icon at the top of your camera screen.
3. Click on the settings icon.
4. Click on “Bitmoji.”
5. Click on the option to link your Bitmoji.
6. Allow Snapchat to use your current Bitmoji avatar

How to Play Keepie Uppie on Facebook

The first thing that you need to do to be able to access the Keepie Uppie game is to make sure that your device is up to date with the latest version of Facebook Messenger. Next, you need to start a chat with one of your contacts with whom you would like to play Keepie Uppie. Send this person the emoji of a soccer ball. After sending the emoji, tap on the emoji which is still present on your device.

Facebook Messenger then allows the Keepie Uppie game to be played and keeps track of the high score for the players. Simply tapping on the ball keeps it in the air. Although the game doesn’t seem to be extremely challenging, don’t expect to rack up a high score too easily. Most players do not achieve a high score that is much above 10.

Read More: Hidden Facebook Messenger Games

Other Hidden Games on Facebook Messenger

Keepie Uppie is not the only hidden game on Facebook Messenger; the app has a basketball game that can be played the same way. Furthermore, there is a hidden football Easter egg game available on the site as well. You can also access a hidden chess game by typing “@fbchess” — a nice game board filled with chess pieces appears and pieces can be moved around rather easily by typing in the first letter of the piece that you want to move.

What are they?
The icons in Facebook Messenger are used to tell you when your messages have been sent, delivered, and read. They are little blue circles, located at the far right of the message you just sent. If you have sent a string of messages, the icon will only appear after the last message, but will represent the group as a whole.

What’s the difference?
There are four different types of circles. The first is simply a white circle with a blue outline. If you see this icon next to your message, it means the message is still sending. The second is a white circle with a blue outline, and a blue checkmark. This means the message has been sent, but is not yet delivered, and the recipient cannot view it. The third is a filled-in blue circle with a white checkmark, which means your message has been delivered, and is currently on the recipient’s phone, though he or she is yet to view it. The final icon is a circle with a small version of your friend’s profile photo inside. This means they have read the message, and are (hopefully) responding!

Read More: How to Recover Deleted Facebook Messages

How can you use them?
Besides being able to track when your friend receives your messages, and keep track of the conversation as a whole, these insignias also make sure your Facebook Messenger app is fully functional. For example, if you are stuck between the “message sending,” and the “message sent” icons for an extended period of time, it may suggest that either your Messenger app isn’t working, or you are in an area with poor service. Similarly, if your message has been sent, but remains undelivered for an extended period of time, it may suggest that something is wrong with the recipient’s device, or service.

Stay in the Know
Staying constantly updated is part of the package when it comes to social media these days. Make sure you check out the dfndr blog to see which updates are coming to your Android phone, and find out how you can take advantage. Then download dfndr security, so it’s not only your Messenger that’s working in top shape.

Step One
First, simply log into your Facebook account. Once you’re in, go to your “Settings” in the top right corner of the window, which will then take you to your “General Account Settings.” At the bottom of the page, you will see “Download a copy of your Facebook data.” Click on the link attached to the first three words.

Step Two
Then, you’ll be brought to a page where you can download everything you’ve done on your Facebook account since you first created it; that’s right, everything. Click on the green button towards the top of the page that says “Start My Archive.” You will then be prompted to type in your password again, after which Facebook will inform you that you’ll soon be receiving an email confirming that your data is ready for download. It may take somewhere between two to three hours for you to receive this email, but when it arrives, you’ll see a link for downloading your archive.

Read More: How to Turn off the Facebook Messenger Emojis on Android

Step Three
Once you’ve received this link, you must reenter your password before you can download the archive. Then, click the “Download Archive” button, which should appear immediately upon entering your password. Your archive will then download to your computer. Unzip the archive, and open the file labeled “Index.” From there, click “Messages,” and your entire history should be laid out before you! All of your past messages will load, including the ones you accidentally (or intentionally?) deleted.

To quickly locate the specific message you’re looking for, you should search for a keyword. You can do this by pressing “CTRL + F,” and typing in a keyword or phrase. Once you have found the message, you can copy and paste it into a Word document to save it.

Mission Accomplished
Sure, it’s not the fastest process out there, but it’s definitely doable! For further information on recovering deleted data, or any other questions about Facebook, check out our PSafe blog for other social media related posts, and how-tos.