Welcome to the next major evolution of island communication! Today, we're thrilled to release Island Messenger 2.0 — completely rebuilt from the ground up to deliver a sub-second, real-time messaging experience with Discord-grade privacy and full multi-device synchronization.

⚡ 1. Discord & Facebook-Grade Real-Time Speed (0ms Optimistic UI)

Never wait for a page reload or network delay again. All chat rooms and direct messages now utilize an adaptive sub-second streaming engine (600ms polling + 0ms optimistic delivery):

• 💬 Direct Messages (1-on-1 DMs): Your messages and attachments appear in the chat stream in 0ms with instant auto-scroll. Reciprocal replies stream in at lightning speed.
• 🌴 Town Square Plaza Channel: Streamlined real-time public chat with smooth animations and instant message rendering.
• 🟢 Live Presence Dots: Status dots in active DM headers and islander profiles update dynamically every few hundred milliseconds.
• 🔄 Instant Tab Wakeup: Switching back to your browser tab or unlocking your phone immediately triggers a burst synchronization.

⚙️ 2. Account-Level Settings & Friend Request Privacy

We've added a dedicated ⚙️ Messenger Settings modal to give you total control over who can connect with you:

• 🟢 Everyone (Default): Any registered resident can discover your Island Passport and send you friend requests.
• 🔒 Inbound Disabled: Blocks unsolicited inbound friend requests. When enabled, other users see a Discord-style notification: "This islander is not accepting friend requests right now. Ask them to add you instead!" Only you can initiate requests.
• 🔔 Sound Effects Toggle: Turn Discord chime alerts on or mute them with one click.
• 🗄️ SQL Database Persistence: All privacy settings and sound preferences are saved permanently to your MySQL user account, syncing seamlessly across PC, mobile, TV, and tablet devices!

🗑️ 3. Direct Message Deletion

Sent a typo or want to clean up your chat? You can now delete any of your sent direct messages:

• Hover over (or tap on mobile) any message you sent in a 1-on-1 DM to reveal the red 🗑️ Trash Can action.
• Clicking delete removes the message instantly with smooth optimistic fading while deleting the record from the database.

🖼️ 4. Supercharged Media Uploads & Permanent Storage

Sharing screenshots and island photos is faster than ever:

• Client-Side Image Optimization: High-resolution camera photos (8MB–12MB) are instantly compressed in ~25ms into crisp, lightweight WebP images under 200KB for near-instant upload speeds.
• Permanent Self-Hosted Storage: All attachments are hosted directly on GenACNH servers — ensuring your photos and trade screenshots never expire or break.

🛠️ 5. Key Fixes & Quality of Life Improvements

• Friend Requests: Fixed multi-tier request ID resolution and resolved counter reference errors.
• Island Passport: Upgraded to an authentic ACNH NookPhone leatherette design with live citizen status and crisp, animated close buttons.
• Remove Friend Safety: Replaced browser popup alerts with an in-app Animal Crossing styled confirmation modal.