Facebook unveiled updates to Messenger for iOS devices, in a bid to address what it claimed was a complex architecture and difficult navigation resulting from a broadened range of features offered by the app.

Raymond Endres, VP of engineering at Messenger, said in a blog the company rebuilt the iOS app “from the ground up” to make it work faster, stating it will now load two-times quicker than the predecessor due to a smaller memory footprint.

“Messenger starts, downloads and updates faster for everyone, including people who use the app on older devices or in areas with lower connectivity where every kilobyte counts”.

He stated the app was a quarter of its original size, making it “lighter and more responsive”, with an 84 per cent reduction in coding meaning “engineers can innovate more quickly”.

The company warned some features will be temporarily unavailable while the update is rolled out in the coming weeks.