Messenger gets HD video calls, AI backgrounds, and more

Meta is introducing new features for Messenger, its messaging app, including AI-powered noise suppression.

Messenger is getting HD video calls and voice isolation, both of which can be enabled via the call settings menu. HD calls are now the default for calls placed over Wi-Fi, Meta says, and an option for calls over cellular.

Messenger also now lets you leave audio or video voice messages when contacts aren’t available, like a digital voicemail. When someone doesn’t answer a call, you can tap the new “Record message” button to send an audio or video recording.

There’s new Siri integration. On iOS, you can ask Siri to help make calls and messages by asking something like “Hey Siri, send a message to Cassandra on Messenger” and then dictating what that message will be.

Lastly, Meta launched AI backgrounds for video calls, which it previewed earlier in the year. Soon, Meta says, you’ll be able to create AI-generated backgrounds by tapping the “effects” icon in the sidebar during Messenger video calls and selecting “Backgrounds.”

The updates to Messenger come after Meta rolled out a new communities feature for the app, built its Meta AI chatbot into the Messenger search bar, an added tools to share large files. Toward the end of last year, Meta also made end-to-end encryption the default for Messenger conversations.