Meta adds a dedicated ‘calls’ tab to Messenger.

If you use Facebook Messenger for calls, you should start seeing updates to the app over the next few weeks. Facebook is launching a dedicated ‘calls’ tab on Android and iOS. For those who use Facebook Messenger for calling, the new call button will be a convenient option.

The new tab will be located between the Chats and People tab on the bottom bar of the app’s screen. Users had to open a separate thread to call a friend or family member previously. While not a huge change, the new ‘Calls’ tab will bring Facebook Messenger closer to WhatsApp.

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During the pandemic, Facebook Messenger has become one of the most popular video calling apps. The decision to add calling to the home screen of the Messenger app is due to the rise in audio and video calls. According to Meta, there has been a 4o percent increase in audio and video calling on Messenger since the beginning of 2020. Over 300 million audio and video calls are made every day by Messenger users around the world.

Earlier this year, Meta began rolling out end-to-end encrypted group chats and calls to Messenger. End-to-end encrypted (E2EE) group chats and calls were first introduced in August last year. While WhatsApp by default encrypts all messages, Meta’s two other apps – Messenger and Instagram – do not. Meta plans to enable end-to-end encryption by default by 2023. Messenger ranks among the most popular cross-platform services with over 1.3 billion users.