Ever since Facebook "unbundled" the big blue app, users of Facebook had to download a separate app to send private messages.
This way, Facebook could prevent its app from becoming too complicated, while giving it more room to experiment. Fast forward, Facebook that has been renamed Meta, also owns the popular messaging app WhatsApp.
At the same time, Meta and its properties are also known for being copycats, blatantly copying others' features and claiming them as their own.
But when Messenger, a product of Meta, is copying WhatsApp, another product of Meta, there is no mistake in that.
What Meta is doing here, is giving Messenger a dedicated 'Calls' tab to all users on Android and iOS.
The dedicated tab here is clearly a copy of WhatsApp's Calls tab.
Just like on WhatsApp, Messenger's version of the Calls tab allows users to keep track of each call they make or receive in the app in one place and make it easier to connect calls with one tap.
It's a way to make audio and video calls with friends and family a lot easier for users.
Also, for those who don’t regularly use the feature, the tab adds a clear reminder that the app supports can use the app for voice or video calls in addition to text-based messaging.
According to Meta, both audio and video calls have increased by 40% compared to early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to work from home and conduct meetings via video and audio.
According to Messenger, users worldwide conduct more than 300 million audio and video calls on a daily basis on its platform.
Meta said that its decision to add calling on the Messenger app’s home screen is due to the rapid rise in audio and video calls that are done through the chat window of another user.
While Messenger takes a similar approach to WhatsApp, it's worth noting that the app cannot be anymore different.
WhatsApp, according to its co-founder Jan Koum, was born out of a need for some users to call friends and relatives in other countries without the hassle of long-distance charges.
This is the main reason why WhatsApp is a straightforward app with less to no gimmick.
On the other hand, Messenger was born from Facebook's Creative Labs, initiated by founder Mark Zuckerberg who separated Facebook from its messaging feature.
Messenger was built complex from the beginning, and is meant to be sophisticated.
Meta operates the two messaging apps, and this move in which it is adding a dedicated Calls tab, allows the app to go one step further toward acting as a complete communication hub.
It's worth noting that the Calls tab is in line with other products created by Meta’s Remote Presence team, including Watch Together and AR Effects, that are meant to foster deeper connections between people and their communities.
This is a clear evidence that Messenger has gone way beyond a hassle-free messaging app to become a fully-fledged messaging app.