Everyone knows that you're supposed to use Facebook to contact friends, family and colleagues. But can you use it to meet total strangers? Users already have the ability to message non-friends on Facebook, but those messages usually end up in the "other" message folder. However, a new update could give users more incentive to Facebook message total strangers.
Facebook's Messenger app will now display key details about the user they're contacting. These details include location, job title, etc in the new "Chat ID" panel. The Chat ID will only display information that the user has chosen to make visible to you. So, if an old high school friend messaged you, then you'd only see the information that they want you to see.
However, this doesn't change the fact that non-friend messages will still go into the "Other" messages folder. But it will make it easier to judge whether you've been messaged by a troll, or if the account is legit.
This new feature's release correlates with the release of Hello, Facebook's new social calling app. Hello tracks incoming calls and connects the number to a user's Facebook account. This feature helps users figure out who is calling them from that anonymous number. However, it does require users to sync up their phone numbers with their Facebook accounts.
But why on earth would you want such a feature? TechCrunch believes that the combination of the two features could provide users with a way to identify past contacts. "Together, the chat ID and caller ID features show Facebook's growing interest in connecting you to and offering context about all the people in your life, not just your friends. That could help foster new friend connections on its social network. But it could also position Facebook as a bigger tool for your professional life as well."
Facebook Messenger's Chat ID feature is currently available for download on iOS and Android in the U.S., U.K., France and India.
