Facebook Messenger testing data saver mode: Report

Facebook Messenger will soon come with a data saver mode that will ask users to select specific content before downloading them while on cellular data connection.

According to a report in TheNextWeb, the social media giant is currently testing the feature on Android beta version of the app. And it is expected to roll out for users soon.

Facebook Messenger by default downloads all content, irrespective of the size. The app will still do the same but only while on WiFi connection. The new data saver mode will ask users on cellular data connection to select specific photos or videos that they wish to download and view, reports Indian Express.

The website also put out a screenshot of the feature which has an option of enabling data saver feature. It also shows the estimated mobile data saved. “The beta version also packs a counter, which shows the user how much data it has saved. This can be reset as required, which should be helpful to those on a rolling monthly data plan,” the report said. Users can get the data saver mode now by signing up as a beta tester on Google Play Store.

A data-saver mode on Facebook Messenger is not surprising. India is the second biggest market for Facebook, and network connectivity is still a major issue here. And this holds true for almost all developing markets including those in Asia, as well as Africa, where Facebook hopes to grow in the future.

In India, Google has been concentrating on data-saving options and has even announced a separate YouTube Go app. Data-saver is also an option on Google Chrome, Google Maps. Now Facebook is testing out this idea as it looks to gain more users across the world.

Facebook Messenger also got a new ‘Secret Conversations’ feature recently. The feature allows users to start an end-to-end encrypted conversation with friends. However, the feature is optional, which means users can pick friends to start a secret conversation with. Facebook Messenger’s ‘Secret conversations can only be read on one device.’

So if you choose to start a secret conversation with a friend on desktop, the same will not appear on your smartphone as well.

With Messaging being the future for Facebook, it’s not surprising the company is constantly adding new features to the app.