Facebook's strategy around mobile users is clear. It's to connect more and more people to the network. This became more evident when it released its updated version of Messenger app for all iOS and Android users.
The updated version of Facebook Messenger has to ability to send messages to people who are not even your Facebook friends. However you need to send messages to their registered phone number on Facebook. This will pretty much save the carrier SMS charge. Apparently such a feature is not the first time you will be experiencing. WhatsApp, Snapchat and WeChat already have incorporated this feature in their apps.
The other major addition is the ability to see which of your friends are using the Facebook Messenger standalone app.
The release has been already rolled out for all iOS users. Facebook says it will take at least two weeks for the update to reach all Android users as well.
"As more and more people use Facebook to connect with their friends on mobile, we are focused on building the best mobile products," Facebook said, regarding the messenger update. "Facebook messaging started as a desktop chat experience, but when it comes to messaging on mobile, people want something faster and lighter weight."
The updated app is more seamlessly integrated to your address book. The speed at which messages get delivered has also improved significantly. The app, according to Peter Martinazzi, the Messenger product manager at Facebook, will work more like SMS and texting instead of the old traditional chat applications.
The majority of the youth have already shifter their conversations to apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp and WeChat. With this update, Facebook will be hoping to bring users back to its white and blue platform. But it will be the users who are going to decide if "mobile-to-mobile" philosophy has worked in the case of Facebook.
Messenger started as a desktop chat client and since then it has come a long way.
