Facebook is about to make everyone use the standalone Messenger app
It's been coming coming, but Facebook told TechCrunch today that the time is just about here -- starting "over the next few days" everyone will need Messenger to chat directly with their Facebook friends on mobile devices (iOS, Android and Windows Phone). Some users in Europe have seen the change for several months, but Facebook claims their positive response has led to the change rolling out worldwide. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy about downloading a second app to do what one was already capable of -- just ask Foursquare users about Swarm. Facebook says the change will let it focus its development efforts better on the two apps separately, and "avoid confusion" by users, who send about 12 billion messages a day on the platform. So, are you already in love with Chat Heads and ready to make the swap full-time, or -- assuming you still use Facebook -- is this the final straw in sending you elsewhere for your communication needs?
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.
