Toward the end of 2015, Facebook crossed the milestone of 800 million people using Messenger each month. Despite the good number, Facebook believes we these are still the early days of Messenger. The means Messenger, which Facebook created as a standalone app in 2014, has more active monthly users than rivals Snapchat and Viber, but still lags the 900 million using WhatsApp, also owned by Facebook.

Through 2015, Facebook made Messenger fasted, introduced video calling, the ability to customize conversations with colors, nicknames and emojis, and with Businesses on Messenger, the company introduced a new way for businesses to engage their customers by providing them with a personal experience. Facebook also rolled out the ability to send and receive money to friends right from conversations, launched Messenger Platform for expression apps, and updated the way you can choose to share your location. And with Message Requests, Facebook built the foundational step of enabling you to find and talk to anyone. The company also made photo sharing with friends easier with a new feature Photo Magic. Additionally, Facebook started started testing M, a digital virtual assistant, and closed the year by launching our transportation platform with Uber.

Regarding M, Facebook says it's still very, very early days, but its growing AI capabilities are bringing convenience to simple, every day tasks like booking a restaurant, sending flowers, and making plans. There will be more innovative developments to come from Messenger this year.