The new design is less cluttered than before. Source: Android Headlines
The new design is less cluttered than before. Source: Android Headlines

Facebook Messenger is getting a brand-new redesign and this time it’s expected to be less cluttered. One of the key parts of the redesign will be to get rid of the Discover Tab. Facebook had inserted the tab into the Messenger app but it became very unpopular among users. The proposed changes in the Messenger design were first announced in August last year, but things didn’t start changing immediately. 

However, it seems like Facebook is finally making good on its promise to offer users a more refined and less cluttered app. According to online reports, the new changes will start rolling from next week. Even though the Messenger app has been an integral part of Facebook’s services, for a very long time it remained bloated and difficult to use.

The app wants to focus on messaging only. Source: UptoDown
The app wants to focus on messaging only. Source: UptoDown

Many users had raised these concerns and Facebook finally listened last year, making the initial promise to completely design the Messenger interface. According to Facebook, the goal right now is to enhance the core functionalities of the Messenger app. In essence, the social media giant wants to make it easier for people to just message without too much of a fuss. 

The Discover Tab, which has now gone away, used to house a lot of things that were rarely used by a majority of Messenger users. If, for example, you wanted to see business accounts on Messenger, you had to go through the Discover tab to see those accounts and sadly, most of them were run by bots. The tab also had Facebook Instant games. The instant games feature was an attempt by Facebook to try and revive its gaming platform. 

The hope by the social media company was to insert the feature into Messenger with the aim of delivering a more personalized experience to its users. But people weren’t buying it. Facebook is now taking away Instant Games from Messenger, along with the Discovery Tab as part of this new redesign. Nonetheless, instant games will still be available through the web.

The “Discover” section was completely removed. Source: Mobile Syrup
The “Discover” section was completely removed. Source: Mobile Syrup

Facebook will also add a new “People” section into the new design. The tab will allow you to see large squares, all dedicated to friends who have updated their stories on Facebook recently. The section will also include a full contact list that will be organized based on the most used contacts online. The intention here is that people will easily be able to find their favorite contacts to message without having to go through their long list of friends or recent chats. 

We aren’t sure how these changes will be received by users. But it’s clear that Facebook has been actively listening to what people have been saying, which is that Messenger is most useful as a messaging app. Although the social media company wants to expand the functionalities of this app, the manner in which it has gone about this seems to have jeopardized the app’s core function, which is sending and receiving messages.

The new redesign is taking the app back to its roots and the uncluttered, more refined look will surely be a hit with most users. Of course, we will have to wait a week for the changes to start rolling in order to have a clear idea of what people think.