Facebook released an experimental app for Apple Watch, tailoring its Messenger product for the device’s small screen in a bid to boost usage by enabling a series of short lines, recordings or emojis to be sent swiftly.

The Keep in Touch (Kit) app was developed by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation (NPE) Team, a unit unveiled in July 2019 to develop systems to expand user experiences. Kit works on Apple Watches running watchOS 6.1 or later.

Set up requires users to scan a QR code on the watch or enter an access code on Facebook, after which messages can be sent by selecting the desired Messenger contact. Communications can be recorded, dictated, written or just comprise an emoji, with the app also enabling location sharing and notifications.

The NPE Team describes Kit as a way to overcome navigation obstacles associated with the small screen on wearables, or using their phone to communicate. The focus is also on close friends rather than a user’s broader contact list.

TechCrunch reported Kit was currently available in Canada only.