A New App from Facebook Allows to Contact Close Friends Using Apple Watch

Connecting with close friends has been made a lot easier over Apple Watch with the new app launched by the Internal R&D group of Facebook. The app is named Kit, short for Keep in Touch, works using QR codes and the Messenger service of Facebook.

To get started, as per the App Store description of Kit, first either scan the QR code on the watch or go to fb.com/devices and enter the access code. Then select the Messenger contact that you want to say connected with through Kit.

Various messages like voice recordings, dictation input, location, emoji, as well as scribbles can be sent with just one touch – just like the iMessage works on Apple Watch. The messages sent will be from Facebook Messenger to Facebook Messenger and not on iMessage or SMS.

The app will allow the receiver of the message to respond to notifications and can even read out the message for them.

The purpose of the app is to keep users connected without having to use the phone much.

Though Facebook Messenger is already compatible with Apple Watch but Kit allows to stay in touch with the close contacts specifically, like best friends, family member, etc. Instead of navigating on a small screen to read and reply to messages on Messenger, the new app gives a unique user interface experience.

Facebook’s New Product Experimentation (NPE) Team, has developed the Kit, as it is known for trying new app concepts and altering them. NPE has already come up with several social apps like Whale - for creating memes, Bump – a conversational app, Aux – a music app, Hobbi – video app and recently it introduced an app for couples – Tuned. Despite building several apps, only a few are available currently as apps that fail to perform avail among users are shut down by Facebook.

The social experiences introduced by NPE are not usually joined with the existing product of Facebook, unlike the latest Kit which works with Messenger. It might perform well as there are already around 1.3 billion Messenger users, which means a great chance to grab the audience.

In the time of social distancing and extreme protection measures, Kit could be more useful as people avoid using smartphones in public. The app would allow them to stay connected to their close contacts via Messenger without having to use a phone.

It is also the first app by Facebook’s NPE team that is launched on Apple Watch. Apptopia data shows that the app has not yet made its mark in the App Store chart because it is still new and currently is only available in Canada.

It can be downloaded for free from the App Store but is compatible with the Apple Watch only.



Read next: New Data Checkup System launched by Facebook to avoid repetition of the past mistakes
Previous Post Next Post