Facebook is preparing to disable the messaging part of its mobile web app so to hopefully encourage users to use Facebook Messenger instead. A notice to users states that conversations are “moving to Messenger” and that the change will occur this summer.
Some users are concerned because they say the mobile site is used much more and that’s why most people haven’t downloaded the app. Also, people with phones that don’t have official clients or those who cannot upgrade to the latest OS version, are currently forced to use the web version.
Apparently, Facebook is attempting to provide “the best possible experience” regarding messaging, and the Messenger app that works on a platform they already use.
Facebook officially unveiled Messenger as a standalone application back in 2014 shortly after it was originally part of the overall Facebook messaging platform. At the time, many users were happy about the move that was being taken by the social networking leader since there was reason to believe that the company was trying to compel them to move to the chat app. However, Facebook wound up disabling the messaging function in the main Facebook mobile app, which forced users who wanted to continue using the program to download and install Messenger to be able to access their inbox.
Currently the company says more than 900 million people have embraced the chat app. It appears that current users of the mobile web platform will not be able to continue to access their messages and that all future conversations will be only available on the chat app.
Meanwhile the Messenger app is adding new features including some fresh emojis. The latest will include female characters and different skin colors, according to a company announcement. Prior to the update, users were only able to send and receive emojis that they typed into their keyboards or use software installed in their devices.
However, some of the new characters are not native and therefore a few of the specific emojis will not display on everyone’s screens. With this new update, Messenger will have its own emojis which will specifically represent women too and not simply be stereotypical in general.
Sources familiar with the new additions say there will be 1,500 new emojis after the update and those new ones will also be gender-agnostic.
