Facebook has launched what it calls the Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub, a series of web pages that inform people on how best to take advantage of Facebook Messenger at this time of global pandemic.
Unlike the coronavirus information centre Facebook placed at the top of the Facebook app in some countries, the Messenger hub appears to be a separate site people can go to for tips such as how to set up automated responses for your business, get your kids using Messenger Kids or how teachers can use group calls most effectively to reach colleagues.
It also addresses the rise in scams over the platform at a time when many people are in a vulnerable position, as well as advising people how to tackle the spread of misinformation.
Internet traffic is of course surging due to the millions of people stuck isolating at home due to the Covid-19 crisis, but many chat, video and conferencing apps have seen a huge uptick in popularity. To this writer, it’s odd that corporate video software Zoom is seeing such a rise in use given that many consumer offerings like Messenger, FaceTime and Duo already have group calls features.
Perhaps its easier to see eight people’s faces on a computer screen instead of your iPhone.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.