Facebook is reportedly preparing another app for users to download. The app isn't the next groundbreaking way of communicating, however. It's called Phone.
While not groundbreaking technology, the app could potentially save users a lot of time. Phone is essentially a dialer app that works like a caller ID, blocking calls automatically and showing caller information.
The app was supposed to be for internal use only; however since it was "leaked," Facebook has confirmed that it is testing a "Phone" app. The app will be available for Android users and it is unknown if it will be available to iOS users given the fact that it is far more closed.
The app was leaked when users began seeing a prompt that said "Try Phone," however when users tapped on the prompt, it led to nothing. The app itself is probably locked away on Facebook's servers. While the company did admit to saying that it was testing the new app, it also said that it "tests new things all the time," suggesting that we might not end up seeing the "Phone" app at all.
Facebook already allows users to make video and voice calls, but helping users screen their calls is a little new for the company. Despite this, many are skeptical that the app will take off both because of the fact that Facebook has never done something quite like this before and because it is currently unclear if there is even a market for it.
The service could eventually challenge not only Google's Android dialer, but even wireless carriers that charge users for calls. Eventually we could even see a Facebook mobile network.
The app would replace the phone dialer, and it would also likely link to Facebook's current Internet calling service, which is built into the company's Messenger app.
Facebook has had a growing interest in messaging and calling on smartphones. The company bought WhatsApp last year for a whopping $19 billion, and WhatsApp recently started rolling out a new feature that allows users to call each other through Wi-Fi.
Facebook is also expanding its Messenger app, adding a feature that allows users to send money to other users. This news suggests that Facebook is planning on turning Messenger into a service itself and is likely to do things like advertise on Messenger.
Only time will tell if we will actually see the app. However, it is highly likely that it will be released in the next couple of months.
