Facebook updates two mobile apps; Instagram now works with ‘Likes’

Facebook updated its Messenger and Pages mobile apps, and Instagram also gave its mobile app an update, making it more compatible with Facebook.

The updates came Monday with plenty of new features for the three apps, including a new logo for Messenger. For Pages, this is the app’s first update after its release in May, and for Instagram, it’s the app’s first major update since Facebook announced it was buying Instagram for $1 billion in April.

Messenger’s update makes the app faster, allowing users to switch more quickly among multiple conversations. The app now features in-app notifications to help users accomplish that.

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It also now allows users to share larger photos, enter full-screen mode when viewing photos and use a pinch motion to zoom.

With Pages, Facebook has updated the app to allow page managers to view and reply to messages. You can now also adjust how often you get notifications, and you can see answers to questions posted as well as guest lists for events you create. Additionally, Facebook has added insights for people’s check-ins.

As far as Instagram, the app’s latest update lets users enable a feature that shares their Instagram ‘Likes’ on Facebook. It’s unclear how coordinated this effort between the two companies was, as Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram has not yet received approval from federal regulators.

Instagram has updated some other things under the hood, and among the more easily noticed is its revamped profile tab. It has also given the “Explore” tab a search function, letting users search for users or hashtags.

The updates, which came Monday, apply to both Android and iOS.
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