image via the Guardian
Facebook Messenger, Facebook’s new instant messaging phone app, has just been made available to countries outside the US.
The app is Facebook’s take on the densely populated mobile IM market, taking on services such as WhatsApp and BlackBerry Messenger. It essentially takes Facebook’s inbox/chat service and incorporates it into an IM app designed by the team at Beluga. Beluga, for those that don’t know, is another IM app that made a big splash in the App Store last year and was purchased by Facebook in March.
The apps description outlines the service as follows:
• Send messages instantly to other friends who have Messenger
• Chat with friends who are on Facebook
• Get free push notifications for incoming messages
• Reach friends via text message if they don’t have Messenger yet
• Create group conversations for making plans on the go
• Add more friends to group conversations at any time
• Attach photos and location to messages
• Control alert settings for each conversation
Essentially, Facebook Messenger can be used as text-messaging through Facebook, or as a Chat service that actually works (most Chat apps, including the Facebook app itself, dont).
It’s actually not that different from the inbox service already provided in Facebook’s official iPhone app, except it’s more streamlined for easy use and access. Also, you can’t see your online friends. It’s been the one major criticism the app has so far faced, though others have defended removing the feature, saying the app is meant to feel more like on offline service such as texting, making ‘being online’ irrelevant.
The app is available to download for free in both the App Store and Android Market. If you’re a Facebook user or an IM addict, it’s worth checking out.
