With more people accessing the internet through their phones, Facebook has to broaden its offerings to include users who aren’t already using the main Facebook app. That means creating a separate product for different types of customers, such as those who don’t use the Facebook messaging service, but still use mobile devices to communicate. In fact, only a small fraction of mobile messaging users are Facebook members, and they’ll be better served by a separate app.
Users may be hesitant to download a separate app for Messenger for two reasons. First of all, it uses their Facebook accounts to track their online activity, which can be unwelcome for many users. Secondly, Facebook’s Messenger app consumes battery life. By comparison, Facebook’s main app takes up less battery than Messenger. And lastly, the Messenger app has several features that the mobile web version doesn’t have.
Another reason to use a separate app is to increase accessibility. Messenger will prompt users to download the app if they’re using the Facebook app. However, they can still read their pending messages in the Facebook app and send messages to other Messenger users. More than 200 million people use Messenger every month, while nearly 1.1 billion people access Facebook through their phones every month. Aside from notifications, Messenger stores private Facebook messages, so if you’re not on Facebook, you’ll probably miss a lot of important calls.
Although Messenger is an alternative to Facebook’s original application, it has many benefits and is a fun way to communicate with Facebook friends. If you’re a casual Facebook user, you’ll find Messenger an invaluable companion. As a matter of fact, Messenger is constantly being updated and adding new features and functionality. Moreover, it’s designed to be more accessible, enabling users to stay in touch with their friends regardless of where they’re at.
