It would appear that ephemeral stories are taking over all the social media platforms. Instagram has had it for a while, and it was considered a success. However, as soon as Facebook introduced it as well, it became clear that stories are here to stay. 

Facebook has also expanded this feature by upgrading Messenger. The app now comes with its stories feature too. It differs from regular stories, and this guide will tell you all about the great features it has.

Pause

No matter the platform, stories are very similar to slideshows. They appear one after another until the thing is over. But what should you do if you want to enjoy it for a longer period of time? 

The answer is simple – pause it. All you need to do is tap the screen and hold. Everything stops, allowing you to appreciate the moment.

Change It

If you are interested in checking out a lot of stories of a single person or page, you can jump between them tapping on the right. And if you want to go back, click on the left. Swiping right lets you see the story of a previous person. 

Camera Switch

Some users do not like to make switches by tapping the camera icon. Thankfully, there is an alternative. All you need to do is double-tap the screen. This will work in both the video and photo modes.

Privacy Settings

You cannot deny the importance of privacy. Messenger has plenty of settings. For instance, if you would like to refrain from certain individuals seeing your stories, click on the profile picture icon. Tap the “Story” panel and set your privacy in a way that makes you comfortable.

Muting and Unmuting

One of the most annoying things about Messenger stories is that you see your newsfeed get bombarded with stories from those who are not in your friend list. That is right. If you have ever interacted with someone, it will still pop up.

Muting and hiding them is the solution. Do that, and such stories will not bother you anymore. Again, click on the profile picture and select “Hide X’s story”. 

Colors

Messenger stories differ when it comes to filling the screen with a color of your choice. If you are used to Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp, the approach in this one is different.

When you are in the selection screen, select camera view and tap the color palette icon. Another screen will appear and it will have the color icon, which you can cycle until you find a decent color. Customize as much as you want.

Face Filters to Old Photos

New photos have a straightforward option to add a filter to them. But what about something that has been taken a very long time ago?

Create a story with the picture you want to add a filter to. New effects icon will appear on the edit screen if it is able to detect a face. Tap the icon and make the changes you want.

Borders

There are quite a few customization options. Borders can also be added to create a more eye-catching story. Borders can be selected by swiping the picture.

Cropping

Messenger stories have a great feature which allows you to crop and rotate the pictures, no matter when they were taken.

The crop icon is at the bottom of the top-right corner. You can remove certain details from the photo, reduce its size, or rotate it.

Flip Stickers

Rotating and changing the size of stickers is all well and good, but did you know that you can also flip them? This feature brings that extra bit of creativity to your stories if used effectively.

Draw with Emojis

You can draw with more than just a pen. Click on the doodle icon, then tap the emoji icon. Select the emoji you want and go crazy.

Pen Size

Pen size might not seem like that big of a deal, but a feature like this is still something that users make use of. Click on the doodle and select the color. The size changes as long as you repeatedly tap on the color you chose. 

Change Background

If you want to make changes to the background, tap the Aa icon. Below, another icon with the letter “A” will appear. Tap on it until you find a satisfying background

In summary, Facebook Messenger is a separate entity and has plenty of excellent features to offer. If you learn everything you need to know about Facebook stories and Messenger stories, you can make your artistic talent flow, by sharing your creations with your friends and followers.

For more help, connect with a Facebook marketing agency.