Facebook updated its Messenger app to include key functions like group chat and message forwarding. Although it may seem like a small update, it was an important one for the Facebook Messenger iOS app.

The app now has an entire section dedicated to saved group chats, called "Groups." Now iOS users can easily create and name groups of friends that they frequently talk to on Facebook Messenger. For example, users might have a Best Friends Forever group, a Roommates group, Bio Review group, etc. Now all of these group chats will be easier than ever to access.

To create a group, you simply go to the "Contacts" section and click on the subheading "Groups." Then, you add all the contacts you please to that specific group. The app will ask you to name the group and add a picture for it before you can start using it. Facebook Messenger also lets you mute group chats at night and other times of the day when you don't want to hear the constant pinging of your friends chatting with one another. 

All of your groups will now be saved in the "Groups" tab for easy access, until you decide to get rid of them. The groups are listed in a nice little grid by name and the circular image you chose to represent each particular group.

Although group chat is a very common feature among messaging apps, Facebook has been slow to add a dedicated function and tab for group chat. The addition of group chat to Facebook Messenger 4.0 will certainly make a lot of chatter-bugs happy. Other messaging services like WhatsApp have had the group chat feature for a long time. Facebook Messenger had to add the function to remain competitive. Of course, once Facebook and WhatsApp officially merge, it will be interesting to see what happens to these two competing messaging apps.

The new update also adds improved message forwarding, so that you can send a message or photo from one chat to another contact without having to go through a ton of steps. Message and image forwarding certainly adds a layer of convenience to Facebook Messenger that didn't exist before.

In recent months, Facebook has added a lot of improvements to its Messenger app and worked hard to expand its user base. Facebook Messenger is now available on Windows Phone 8 as well as iOS and Android.