The Strategist

Facebook unveils new Messenger website



04/08/2015 - 22:38





Facebook unveils new Messenger website
California-based social media company Facebook is putting more emphasis on its Messenger and has now launched a standalone service intended for web browsers.

The new site will not have any other standard Facebook features and could be used to chat or make video calls to your Facebook friends through a Facebook sign-in. The company has no plans to move out Messenger service from its main website, Facebook.com. Only in 2014 had the company moved Messenger as a standalone app in mobiles, separating it from the Facebook app. The company also launched a standalone Messenger app for Windows in March 2012 and a Messenger app for Firefox in December 2012. Both were discontinued in March 2014 to pave way for this new website.

The company is looking at the new website as a way of easy communication through Internet and by dividing it from the Facebook main site, it would allow users to share and speak without the distractions that come in the way as newsfeeds and notifications.

Facebook also recently unveiled mobile payments through Messenger, indicating the importance of this service in the social media company’s list of apps and services. Users will be able to send money via the Facebook Messenger app by composing a message to a friend and tapping a “$” icon. To accept money, the recipient opens the message and enters his or her debit card information.

Facebook reports that the money will transfer immediately, but it could take one to three business days for the recipient's bank to make the funds available. The company also opened up Messenger platform to allow developers to build apps specifically designed for this service, indicating it wants Messenger to become a completely different ecosystem from the Facebook website.