Minato International Facebook To Force Messenger App
Minato International: Social media behemoth, Facebook will soon force mobile users of its site to download its standalone messenger app.
Online, May 29, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Minato International- Facebook, the social media giant, will soon be forcing mobile users of its application to download its standalone Messenger product if they want to continue sending instant messages to friends using their mobile device.
According to sources, Facebook believes that messaging within the main application is slow and cumbersome so they want users to run Messenger as a standalone application.
"This could backfire on Facebook, said an Minato International analyst. "With so many alternatives to Messenger like LINE, WeChat and WhatsApp, many users won't necessarily want another Facebook product cluttering their home screen," he added.
For the last few months, users with both the main and Messenger applications installed have been ported over to the Messenger app when accessing chat in the main application version. The switch will take place over the next two weeks and Facebook has already started notifying users of the impending change.
"Many users are already kicking up a fuss over the change with many suggesting that Facebook is hoping to comb through conversations for keywords to compile statistics that can be used to attract advertisers," said the Minato International analyst.
"While we obviously can speak to that, we do believe that Facebook is taking something of a minor gamble here. Still, with WhatsApp bought and paid for, it's not like Facebook doesn't have alternatives in its arsenal," remarked the Minato International analyst.
The firm says it is not a buyer of Facebook stock at current levels citing its belief that the tech sector had some way to go before it considered the current mild correction complete.
For the last few months, users with both the main and Messenger applications installed have been ported over to the Messenger app when accessing chat in the main application version. The switch will take place over the next two weeks and Facebook has already started notifying users of the impending change.