Facebook's investment in Messenger pays off as app crosses 800 million user mark

Shawn Knight

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Facebook invested heavily in its Messenger platform over the course of 2015 and it has become clear that the time and effort spent has paid off.

Facebook's VP of Messaging Products, David Marcus, revealed on Thursday that Messenger crossed the 800 million active monthly user milestone near the end of last year. That's more than rivals Snapchat and Viber but still shy of WhatsApp's 900 million active monthly users (not that it really matters all that much considering Facebook owns WhatsApp).

According to research firm Nielsen, Messenger was the fastest-growing app of 2015.

In 2015, Facebook added a plethora of features to Messenger including peer-to-peer mobile payments, the ability to scan your camera roll to identify friends and free video calling capabilities, just to name a few. Facebook also started testing a virtual assistant called M that's designed to make day-to-day life a bit easier for its users.

Facebook has big plans for Messenger in 2016. In a recent interview with Reuters, Marcus said one of the things they have to work on this year is the perception or mindset that Messenger is only to speak with Facebook friends. True enough, Messenger no longer requires users to have a Facebook account.

In November, it was revealed that Facebook was testing a self-destructing message feature within its Messenger app in France. No word yet on when or if the feature will eventually find its way to all users.

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Well duh, you forced it upon everyone...
I see you are confused, they did not "force" it on you instead they allowed you to use their optimized and obligatory app in order to send messages on a smartphone.

lol
That's right, they allowed your FB to decline showing you your private messages unless you got the messenger app. I can tell you from experience that I missed, and am continuing to miss a lot of those messages - and life is good and all is well.
 
I refuse to use the app until the optimise how much space it takes and make it simple to transfer all of it on SD cards with non-proprietary backup capabilities.
 
I refuse to use the app until the optimise how much space it takes and make it simple to transfer all of it on SD cards with non-proprietary backup capabilities.

I also refuse to use it. Since the FB app won't let you check messages I go into my browser and check them there.
 
Anyone I want to send a message to, I either CALL THEM on the phone, or just TEXT message.
I don't even use a FB app, Just use the phone and go to their website.
 
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