Facebook Messenger can be a real data hog if you’re a frequent user — especially if you send and receive a lot of GIFs, images, and videos. But that’s going to change thanks to a new Data Saver feature that’s currently being tested on Android.
One of the best things about Messenger is that you can use it to send almost anything. It had the ability to search and send GIFs, images, videos, stickers, and integrated apps long before Apple thought it was cool and brought it all to Messages.
[contextly_auto_sidebar] The only problem is, many of those things take up a lot of data if you send and receive them frequently, and Messenger downloads them automatically — whether you want to see them or not. But Facebook is making changes.
In a future version of Messenger, which is currently being beta tested on Android, there will be a new Data Saver feature. When active, it prevents images and videos from being downloaded automatically and eating up your data uncontrollably.
Screenshot: The Next Web
Instead, you have to tap to load each photo or video individually. Regular text messages will still appear as normal, and it won’t have any impact on how you receive those — so don’t worry about missing important messages when Data Saver is enabled.
Data Saver only works when you’re using a cellular connection, so when you’re on Wi-Fi, all content will load automatically as normal. It’s not yet clear when the feature will be available to all, but Android users can sign up to test the beta through Google Play.
