Technology has made it easier than ever to talk with others, but it can still be difficult to start a conversation. Well, not anymore. Facebook Messenger is testing a new feature called “Conversation Topics” that gives you suggestions about what to talk about with your friends.
Facebook Messenger might one of the most-used messaging apps worldwide, with its 1 billion users, but the company is always on the lookout for new ways to increase app usage and retention. Conversation topics are a great way to do that. By suggesting topics based on what our friends have been recently doing, Messenger is definitely helping us engage in more conversations.
The feature was first spotted over the weekend by Chris Messina, who shared the info on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/787751272128536577
Facebook seems to be pulling places users have visited out of its user data, and is using them as conversation starters. Another user, Dan Simpson, noted that the music he has been listening to, or events his friends are planning to attend, also appear in Messenger:
Facebook have some awesome people working on @messenger. It showed @trixieavis 'conversation topics inc what I'm listening to. pic.twitter.com/2NEcFp8A9r
— Dan Simpson (@iamthedans) October 11, 2016
“Conversation topics” seem to only be a test for the moment, as a small number of users are seeing them. But I think they are a great idea, and I hope the feature will be rolled out to more users very soon.
What do you think? Can “conversation topics” really generate more usage for Messenger?
[box]Read Next: You Can Now Stream Facebook Videos On Other Devices[/box]