When unbundling the big blue app is already commencing, Facebook isn't stopping there. The social giant is starting to force users into downloading its Messenger app if they still want to use Facebook's real-time chatting and its messaging feature.
Both Facebook's core app and Facebook's Messenger app have been going their separate ways for quite some time now. Though it's still now possible to chat through mobile browsers, the feature is going away soon.
At the time being, Facebook is delivering users a notice which acts as a message to show a soft warning:
"Your conversations are moving to Messenger." and that "soon you'll only be able to view your messages from Messenger."
With this, Facebook is making clear that the future of its in-app messaging is through Messenger, and Facebook is hoping that no one is refusing to make a switch.
The message could be easily dismissed, for now. But the strategy Facebook is commencing, is rolling out gradually. The company wants all changes to complete as of the summer of 2016. After that moment, everything about messaging on Facebook will change.
Those that would prefer to not make a switch, should give up the messaging functionality they've been accustomed to. So downloading the Messenger app is users' only option.
Mobile Apps, The Future Of Facebook
Mobile app is the future? Well, Facebook seems to see things that way when it first diverse Facebook's core into different smaller pieces. At some point, this could be indeed the future: tech and communications controlled by apps. But on the other side, mobile websites are still popular..
Facebook has succeed in reaching the one billion milestone and keep growing up to surpass 1.6 billion users. The social media network has grown from a college project into a multi-billion dollars company that could influence almost anything it touches and dwarf anything it comes to compete.
But Facebook's move somehow worried users.
Facebook's mobile website is already a great piece of application on its own. With almost everything its Facebook app can do, more or less, it's still used by many people who have good reasons now to download Facebook's official app or Messenger.
Users who don't have official clients; unable to upgrade to the latest version of an OS; and some other reasons. Or maybe those that have limited storage space on their mobile devices (Facebook apps are known for being resource heavy and power hogs).
Now, the sad is coming for them because Facebook is closing its messaging doors on them for good if they don't find a way to install its apps.
So here users are left with two choices: find a way to install and/or update Facebook's apps, or no more messaging.
The move is quite hostile to some. But Facebook has reasons:
The first reason and the most widely-used reason, is by having the ability to provide better user-experience. Users using Facebook's app and its Messenger app could have a much better experience in using the service, in a margin more than they can ever get through its mobile web. The reason for this is because Messenger is a lot more full-featured. With the ability to shoot and upload video, photos, stickers and even chatbots.
But here's the catch, Facebook has more control on its users. This is the motive for almost everything the company is doing.
Facebook is a for-profit company that show targeted advertisements as its main source of income. By making people use its apps, Facebook has more control in targeting ads, and have the power to get much more information about its users' habits. User data is valuable, and that they could mean the whole world for Facebook.
And for more, Facebook wants its brand name to be more visible in the messaging market by making Messenger the star in its own game. And that is even going to the fact that Facebook also owns the messaging giant WhatsApp.
So do you want to switch to the benefit of Messenger? Or being left in the tech dust where everyone is relentlessly share their data to the world and the tech giants? The decision is yours to make.