The days of messaging Facebook friends through the Facebook mobile app are quickly coming to an end. According to TechCrunch, Facebook will force its users with and iPhone or Android device to use the standalone Facebook Messenger app to chat with friends, removing the feature completely from the Facebook app itself. Facebook users on the web, iPad, Windows Phone and feature phones will still be able to chat without using the Messenger app. The changes should begin taking effect in the next few days.
Facebook is clearly trying to streamline things here, but making avid Facebook users jump between two apps could get quite annoying. I agree that Messenger is a cleaner and simpler way to chat versus using the Facebook app, and I’m a fan of Chat Heads as well. But there are a lot who aren’t, and many may see Facebook’s aggressive tactics a bit less than unsavory.586
Facebook is trying to keep this move on the down low, deciding to keep the news from Facebook’s blog and sending out emails to users instead. TechCruch received this email from Facebook:
“In the next few days, we’re continuing to notify more people that if they want to send and receive Facebook messages, they’ll need to download the Messenger app. As we’ve said, our goal is to focus development efforts on making Messenger the best mobile messaging experience possible and avoid the confusion of having separate Facebook mobile messaging experiences. Messenger is used by more than 200 million people every month, and we’ll keep working to make it an even more engaging way to connect with people.”
What do you think? Do you agree with Facebook or do you think the Facebook and Messenger apps should stay how they are? Let us know in the comments.