Facebook has an official app on just about every mobile platform out there, but it’s also launched several standalone apps for its various services. One example of this is Facebook Messenger, which is built into the main Facebook app on several platforms but is also available all by its lonesome. However, it’s now been revealed that if you’re a Facebook Messenger user, the standalone app will soon be the only way to get your FB chat on.
Facebook has confirmed to The Verge that it will soon remove Messenger out of its main Android and iOS apps. Once that happens, the dedicated Facebook Messenger app will be the sole method of using the chat service on those two platforms.
There are a few instances in which Messenger will remain inside the dedicated Facebook app. Android devices with small amounts of memory will still be able to stick with the plain ol’ Facebook app, as will Windows Phone and tablet users. Finally, the recently-launched Paper app will continue to include Messenger support.
While it may not seem like a big deal for Android and iOS users to just download Facebook Messenger, I can see how it could be annoying for some folks to have to download a separate app to keep using Facebook’s chat service. The change will not only require users to install an extra app, it’ll also require extra effort to switch between Facebook and Facebook Messenger if you’re browsing the social network and chatting simultaneously. Here’s to hoping that this move ultimately results in improved versions of the two separate apps.
If you don’t already have Facebook Messenger installed, you can find the various versions of the app at the links below.
Via The Verge, Facebook Messenger: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
- Log in to post comments