Facebook just launched its own Facebook Messenger app available on Android and iPhone dedicated to sending messages and texts through the social giant. It can be used on iPad but only at the size of the iPhone or zoomed with the 2x button.
This launch is the result of Facebook’s acquisition of Buluga, a group messaging app. Facebook Messenger is the first app the company has released outside of the actual Facebook app.
Once you log into Facebook Messenger, you can see all recent chats and messages and can jump into them or create new ones in which can be sent via messenger or sms. You can even give each message thread a name much like a subject of an email for better organization. You can also send photos.
Facebook Messenger has notifications which can be set for immediate, delayed an hour, delayed until 8 a.m. the next day, or turned off.
Code found within Messenger suggests that Facebook will soon add video chat capabilities to the app as well. This makes sense, given Facebook’s recent tie-up with Skype for such functionality.
Facebook says they will eventually incorporate Messenger’s functionality into the official Facebook app, but for now having a dedicated app will benefit most mobile users. This could give all other messaging apps such as iMessage, GroupMe, and even text messaging some competition.
