Users also will be able to customize their cross-app chat with unique themes and custom reactions and will also have new features like Facebook’s Watch Together capability. Facebook claims over 70% of eligible Instagram users already have this capability, according to a post on the Messenger News blog Currently, Facebook has three chat themes, with more in the works. There is an Astrology art suite based on the Zodiac signs, a theme based on popular Colombian singer J Balvin, and a “cottagecore” theme. Watch Together allows users to watch videos, TV shows, and movies with their friends. The post also announces that Facebook is creating exclusive content for Watch Together that features famous music artists such as rapper Cardi B and Steve Aoki. Polls also are coming to Instagram messaging and cross-app chats, which can be used to make a group decision, for example. However, it doesn’t appear that polls will be available on the Messenger app, and the post doesn’t say if Facebook has plans to spread the feature elsewhere. To ensure transparency in the chats, Group Typing Indicators have been added to the group chats, so people can see when others are typing. And users can moderate their chats with delivery controls. The chat creator can decide who is included in a chat, as well as who can’t message or call chat members.
