Facebook Messenger gains 3D Touch shortcuts, message requests and snowflake animations

Facebook Messenger 52.0 for iOS 3D Touch Home screen shortcuts iPhone 6s screenshot 001

Facebook has released an update to its Messenger software in the App Store, bumping the app to version 52.0 and bringing out 3D Touch shortcuts on the Home screen for owners of the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus.

Just press Messenger’s icon lightly with 3D Touch and up pops a menu with the New Message option, along with handy shortcuts for starting a chat with your top three most-frequently messaged contacts.

In addition, changelog accompanying the download mentions that Messenger now lets all users reach anyone on the service by sending them a message request.

“You don’t need their phone number or to be their Facebook friend to contact them,” reads the description. Facebook in the summer began allowing users to sign up for Messenger only with their mobile phone number, no Facebook account needed.

Last but not least, you will now see snowflakes fall across the screen when you send or receive winter-related emojis and stickers.

Availability

Messenger requires an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad with iOS 7.0 or later and offers a native app for the Apple Watch with the ability to send your location and reply to messages with dictation, voice messages and stickers.

The app is localized in English, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Download Messenger for free in the App Store.