Workplace by Facebook Launches Desktop Chat App, Design Refresh

Facebook’s collaboration service Workplace has hit its one year mark, and is launching the Workplace Chat desktop app today to celebrate the occasion.

While Workplace Chat has always had mobile and browser components, the app is now available for PC and Mac. Workplace Chat will add support for group video chat on desktop and on mobile in the coming weeks.

Workplace Chat allows screen sharing, file sharing, and similar features to Slack, such as message reactions, @mentions and gifs.

Workplace has also rolled out design updates that make it easier for customers to connect and navigate on its platform, based on customer feedback.

The new features come as competitor Slack has added collaborative screen sharing based on its 2014 acquisition of Screenhero.

More than 30,000 organizations use Workplace, including companies like Walmart, Spotify and Lyft, adding 14,000 organizations in the past 10 months. Workplace is used by customers in 77 countries.