Originally released for the iPhone and other smartphones in August 2011, Facebook has been silent about bringing its Messenger app to the iPad. Today, the folks at 9to5Mac got their hands on a prototype of an iPad-optimized Facebook Messenger app which means yes, it exists and yes, it’s coming.
Right now in the beta stages, it’s nothing more than a blown up version of Messenger for iPhone. There’s a lot of white space in conversations and there isn’t even a sidebar view of online friends. This indicates the app is in the early stages of development. Everything in the iPhone app seems fully functional like sending photos and push notifications.
It’s much appreciated that Facebook is working to bring Messenger to the iPad. I’ve said time and time again, there really is no good way to use Facebook Chat on the iPad — the website in Safari lacks the chat bar and most third-party apps suck. Soon, there will be.
Also spotted in this app and a beta for the iPhone is the ability to place video calls using built-in Skype integration, a feature that’s been available on the Facebook website for almost a year now. This will be a nifty way to chat with friends regardless of what device they’re using — iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, PC, etc. — as long as they’re logged in to Facebook. Apple’s proprietary FaceTime will soon face some more rivalry.
Hit up 9to5Mac for the full gallery of screenshots. Oh and Facebook, while you’re at it, can you maybe work on fixing your shitty apps already available?