Facebook to remove Messenger from main app to reduce 'friction'

Posted:
in iPhone edited November 2014
Facebook on Wednesday started sending out notifications to users in Europe regarding the imminent removal of Messenger from the service's flagship iOS and Android apps, a move that will ultimately force users who chat to download the standalone version.



First reported by TechCrunch, the alerts were apparently sent out to European users of Facebook's mobile apps today, though widespread notifications are expected to start rolling out soon.

"To continue sending messages on mobile, people will need to install the Messenger app," a Facebook spokesperson told Re/code. "We've found that people get replies 20 percent faster on Messenger than on Facebook."

According to Facebook, the move is meant to streamline the main app by breaking out features into standalone apps. Currently, the flagship Facebook app has Messenger "buried" under a user's main feed. Forcing use of the standalone Messenger will also give Facebook additional presence on a user's home screen.

The feature deprecation may be more of a hassle, however, as Facebook users will have to exit the main app and open Messenger to chat and read posts on their timeline. Alternatively, multitasking between the two is an option, though this solution is still more cumbersome than the current system that requires only a swipe to the left to bring up in-app chat.

Changes are expected to roll out first in Europe before going worldwide within the next one to two weeks.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 37
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    If they remove Messages from Facebook Paper, I'm gonna be pissed. I don't want two separate apps.
  • Reply 2 of 37
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Could they also remove themselves from human civilization?

  • Reply 3 of 37
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Could they also remove themselves from human civilization?


     

    +1

     

    They are forcing "public" on things that were not. The mobile app stopped letting me use "friends of friends". If I want to do that it has to be on the browser client via custom. Forcing people to use the messenger app is dumb. I only used the messages in the main app out of convince. I have a separate chat app already and will just use it.

     

    So tired of facebook's crap.

  • Reply 4 of 37
    sporlosporlo Posts: 143member
    Completely pointless. Facebook is just trying to build out their visible platform onto iOS/Android. More mindshare sorta.
  • Reply 5 of 37
    sporlosporlo Posts: 143member
    +1

    They are forcing "public" on things that were not. The mobile app stopped letting me use "friends of friends". If I want to do that it has to be on the browser client via custom. Forcing people to use the messenger app is dumb. I only used the messages in the main app out of convince. I have a separate chat app already and will just use it.

    So tired of facebook's crap.
    I was so tired of it I deleted my account.
  • Reply 6 of 37
    tonestertonester Posts: 56member
    Facebook is simply brilliant at finding ways to inconvenience their users. It will end up being their undoing. No deprecate messenger app for me. Real friends have my number and can send a regular text.
  • Reply 7 of 37
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Sporlo View Post

    I was so tired of it I deleted my account.

     

    Hope you did that before 2010, because there’s no account deletion since. Not without a death certificate, at any rate. And your data stays with them regardless.

  • Reply 8 of 37
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    I don't care, I use both apps, messenger is faster.
  • Reply 9 of 37
    sporlosporlo Posts: 143member
    Hope you did that before 2010, because there’s no account deletion since. Not without a death certificate, at any rate. And your data stays with them regardless.

    I did it in January of 2014 I think. Of course I don't expect Facebook to actually dump my data. I just didn't want to use their services anymore. Or rather I didn't want to service THEM anymore. And my account doesn't show up publicly anymore so I dunno what you mean about the 2010 thing.
    hill60 wrote: »
    I don't care, I use both apps, messenger is faster.
    Solution: speed up Facebook.
  • Reply 10 of 37
    scotia73scotia73 Posts: 14member
    I hate these totally unnecessary changes that just irritate users.
  • Reply 11 of 37
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    This is of course how many months before the merge messenger with WhatsApp?

  • Reply 12 of 37
    doctyrbdoctyrb Posts: 1member
    SUPER BAD IDEA Facebook! I won't use it if I have to use 2 separate apps!
  • Reply 13 of 37
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,832member
    Facebook being a pain now, there goes the once every 6 months I use the app, who needs two apps for 1 service, when will it be they destroy Instagram app?
  • Reply 14 of 37
    nikiloknikilok Posts: 383member
    Yes would be better with a single app for sure. However app switches happen seamlessly too.
  • Reply 15 of 37
    I'm a regular Facebook user, but I echo everyone's frustration. There are very simple things they could do to make the experience better, but they chose not to, for example security/privacy (their shit job of managing this is a serious safety concern, I've had random people checking out my family members, not cool at all). It seems to me that zuckerbergs "vision" is more important to him than user experience. I'm guessing that's where the creepy vibe comes from. Just like google, they seem to have a sense of self righteousness that leads them to have an "end justifies the means" philosophy, where they actually believe their "don't be evil mantra" while at the same time doing crappy things.

    I appreciate that Apple hasn't tried to go into social yet (except for ping, which I believe was actually a failed play/ploy to get Facebook user integration). But I think that a lack of a reasonable, viable alternative to Facebook puts Apple in a good position to create a meaningful contribution to the social space, mainly: social + security + Apple ecosystem. I hope Apple is working in this.
  • Reply 16 of 37
    Looks like I'm going to delete ALL of Facebook's apps!
  • Reply 17 of 37
    Terrible terrible idea. I am far less inclined to use it now. It was becoming a replacement for email correspondence for me because it was embedded in the app I already use. Now that completely defeats the purpose. Apple would never do this, or if they did they'd convince you your life is better because of it. Facebook is just saying, now we want your life to be less convenient. You're welcome. Idiots.
  • Reply 18 of 37
    theiletheile Posts: 6member
    I'm from Denmark and have been using the Messenger app for quite some time. I don't exactly remember when we were forced to this but I think at least for this year.
    If I click the messages icon in the FB app it automatically opens the Messenger app.
    The Messenger app is a big improvement compared to what was previously in the FB app.
    It looks like they have to separate this product, as they want users to be able to chat even though the are not friends on FB, and they can better add features that allows you to chat with people that are not even on FB (my guess is they will integrate whatsApp into this as it seems to be the cleanest app of the two).
    The Messenger app has different sets of icons and pictures that you can download and use, that was never available in the FB app.
  • Reply 19 of 37
    I've been using the Facebook Messenger app since it first came out... and I never thought there was a problem. :???:

    The last thing I want when replying to a Facebook message is to see a bunch of friend requests, notifications, page activity and other distractions.

    The Messenger app made sense to me. You go straight to the message... and only the message. I thought that was the idea.

    And then the regular Facebook app is for all the [I]other[/I] Facebook stuff.

    .
  • Reply 20 of 37
    theiletheile Posts: 6member
    I'm from Denmark and have been using the Messenger app for quite some time. I don't exactly remember when we were forced to this but I think at least for this year.
    If I click the messages icon in the FB app it automatically opens the Messenger app.
    The Messenger app is a big improvement compared to what was previously in the FB app.
    It looks like they have to separate this product, as they want users to be able to chat even though the are not friends on FB, and they can better add features that allows you to chat with people that are not even on FB (my guess is they will integrate whatsApp into this as it seems to be the cleanest app of the two).
    The Messenger app has different sets of icons and pictures that you can download and use, that was never available in the FB app. You can call people and what else can we expect to see…
    It makes sense, it's an improvement that I don't have to refresh the news feed to sent a message to another person.
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