Nearly two years ago, Facebook removed all messaging features from its apps for the iOS and Android, spinning out all communications capabilities to a new standalone app named Messenger. The move was initially hated by users as it entailed having to switch to another app for a feature that was one of the most used ones on the social network.
Today, there is still a significant number of Facebook users who have not installed Messenger on their smartphones. They instead use the Facebook mobile web app on their devices' browsers, which still have messaging capabilities, allowing them to circumvent the need to download Messenger.
The workaround, however, might soon be coming to an end as well.
Users who have tried to use Facebook's messaging feature are being shown a notice that informs them that their conversations are moving to Messenger, and that soon, messages can only be accessed through the standalone app.
It looks like a notification that can be ignored, but closing it and attempting to access a conversation will open up the Google Play Store page for Messenger. Users can go back to the Facebook mobile web app to try accessing their messages again, with the second time finally allowing them to access their conversations.
The notifications are currently only showing up for Android devices, though it might not be too long before users begin seeing the same message on their iOS devices.
The motivation behind the move is clearly for Facebook to monetize Messenger, one of the most popular communications platforms in the world and second only to WhatsApp, which is also owned by Facebook. More users on Messenger would mean more profits for the company.
There is a reason why some users have not been giving in to installing Messenger though, such as people who have smartphones without official clients, devices that could not be upgraded to the latest version of an operating system, and discomfort in the fact that Messenger requests access to some of the device's features such as its microphone.
The aggressive push for users to switch to Messenger, however, is drawing criticism as it eliminates the choice of using an app over another.
