Facebook just released a new update to its Messenger app that adds a new tab that focuses more on calls, with a dedicated tab that resembles Android’s default dialer.

With improvements in recent years, Facebook Messenger is no longer a tool exclusively for group chats, but has now expanded to video and voice calls, ensuring it has the ability to replace most messaging apps on phones. Now, the new update makes Messenger even more powerful.

The Calls tab is rolling out to Android users starting this week, making it easy for users to make calls and view their call history in a single space. This is reminiscent of what happens with apps like Google Duo or even the default Android dialer. The user’s contacts – in this case, Facebook friends – will show up as recent calls, complete with incoming or outgoing information, the type of call, and the date the conversation took place. Users can quickly call anyone back by tapping the icon next to each name, or make a new call by tapping one of the buttons at the top of the screen.

Once rolled out widely, it will make it a lot easier for users to make voice or video calls to friends, and draw more attention to voice chats. While making a call to a friend in the current version of Messenger is easy when the user simply selects the phone or the video chat icon in the thread, a dedicated tab makes it much quicker.

Facebook says voice and video calls have exploded on the platform, with a 40% increase from early 2020. In total, 300 million calls (both voice and video) are made on Messenger daily. With the new feature, the company fully expects the number to increase.

@ Cafef