Facebook Messenger Gets Dropbox File Sharing, Video Chat Heads

Messenger users can now share photos, videos, and other files saved in the Dropbox without having to leave Facebook's standalone instant messaging app. Dropbox on Tuesday announced the new feature which will be available to both Messenger for Android and iOS users. The app will also soon support Video Chat Heads, allowing users to continue video calls while messaging other users.

The cloud storage company explains that Messenger for iOS or Android users on tapping the More button in the app will see Dropbox as an available source. Users will however be required to have the Dropbox app installed on their devices.

The company adds that videos and images-including animated gif images saved in Dropbox will be displayed directly in Messenger chats. For accessing other files, Messenger users will have to tap the Open button to bring recipients to the Dropbox mobile app where they can preview and save files.

On the new direct Dropbox share feature, Stan Chudnovsky, Head of Product for Messenger said, "We want people to communicate just the way they want to on Messenger, with everyone they care about. Giving our users the ability to share their Dropbox videos and images in Messenger threads with just a few taps will help them bring more style and personality to those conversations."

For using the new feature, users will have to install the latest Dropbox app which is now available to download via Google Play and App Store.

The new Dropbox integration into Facebook Messenger app is one of the several third-party integrations the chat app is receiving lately. Few weeks back, Facebook announced a tie up with the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines which allowed the air travellers to receive every piece of information related to their travel on Messenger - including the boarding pass.

Last week, Facebook announced that its Messenger app had over 900 million monthly active users, up from 800 million in January.

Facebook is also rolling out another new feature to Messenger - Video Chat Heads. Available for both Android and iOS, Messenger video chats now get an always-on-top Chat Head interface users are familiar with. This allows users to continue a video call while they're messaging other people - and, on Android, even while they are using other apps. It will be rolling out globally within the next few days.