Facebook Messenger apps to allow chatting without a Facebook account
Facebook on Thursday announced that new Messenger users will soon be able to sign up without a Facebook account, potentially expanding the reach of the chat service.
The option is currently rolling out in Canada, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States. People opening up the Messenger iOS or Android apps for the first time will see an added link letting them join Messenger with just a name, phone number, and contact photo.
Most of the apps' features will still be available this way, including voice and video calls and sharing media like photos and videos.
Signing in with a Facebook account is still strongly encouraged by the company however, since this not only imports friends from the social network but triggers message alerts across multiple devices and the Web.
Facebook has been gradually working to turn Messenger into its own platform. The process began by breaking Messenger out of the main Facebook app, and has accelerated in the past year, the biggest push coming in March with the introduction of both a third-party API and Messenger Business, the latter letting businesses chat with customers, send receipts and shipping info, and even process transactions.
The option is currently rolling out in Canada, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States. People opening up the Messenger iOS or Android apps for the first time will see an added link letting them join Messenger with just a name, phone number, and contact photo.
Most of the apps' features will still be available this way, including voice and video calls and sharing media like photos and videos.
Signing in with a Facebook account is still strongly encouraged by the company however, since this not only imports friends from the social network but triggers message alerts across multiple devices and the Web.
Facebook has been gradually working to turn Messenger into its own platform. The process began by breaking Messenger out of the main Facebook app, and has accelerated in the past year, the biggest push coming in March with the introduction of both a third-party API and Messenger Business, the latter letting businesses chat with customers, send receipts and shipping info, and even process transactions.
Comments
[SIZE=4]Remember kiddies... "You are not Facebook's customer... you are their product."[/SIZE]
agree, unnecessary to have another message app
Oh cmon. Eventually even Evernote will have chat and social content sharing features, and require yet another sign in and remember a password. Meanwhile, you still need a phone, SMS, and the iPhone lets you sign in to all of its services with your fingerprint.
now if only messenger will be put back into the facebook app or at least made easier to effing log out
That is so true, if you really wanted to go down that path, but I shall politely decline.
I guess it really depends on how you want to stay connected and to who and when.
Not saying it is bad, just that it was unnecessary for me to add another layer of communication with my friends.
Life is good
I am happy without it
I wonder when people will rediscover the best, most perfect messenger. The one we all have, and have been ignoring. Our voice. Before that time, however, the telecom gods will change the paradigm, so that once again we pay by the minute to TALK on phones, but get unlimited messages.... VOICE will one day have a come-back.
So basically they are about to merge WhatsApp into their Messanger app. I was wondering when they'd do that.
Eventually even Evernote will have chat and social content sharing features, and require yet another sign in and remember a password.
Come iOS 9 Notes and the elephant is on its way out of my phone!
People opening up the Messenger iOS or Android apps for the first time will see an added link letting them join Messenger with just a name, phone number, and contact photo.
Which is 90% of what is required for a Facebook account anyway. Cue the incredible amounts of spam, "You're almost there! Give us your birthdate and gender and you too can be a part of the Facebook family!"
This is good news to me. Messenger is all I ever use anymore. I don't use Facebook for anything else. Maybe I can ditch my FB account and just keep Messenger/chat with my friends there? Probably not.