So rather than fixing the problems that result in users messaging via the mobile web app instead of the messenger app, they're just going to "solve" the problem by forcing users to use the messenger app? This is why Facebook as a company doesn't have high levels of consumer trust. This will bite them in the future. Once you lose that level of trust it is extremely difficult to gain back.
Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
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Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#12Facebook's forced migration of their users from basic, functional chat is, in my opinion, more frustrating than any single decision they've made to date (perhaps second to platform risk materializing to those businesses built on top of them). I once had a (protracted) debate with one of their earliest product designers who defended the decision unconditionally. His arguments were—more or less—"it's better for the use…
They only put that spin on it because it works. If they didn't do it, they'd seriously hurt for it in the press and in the court of public opinion. Every company does it. Until people savvy up, they're getting exactly what they deserve.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#13Now it's going to be much harder to send messages from your friend's phone when your phone dies. Before you could use an incognito tab, and now you have to log out of the Messenger app entirely and log in as another user.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#14As a heavy messenger user, my typical use-cases can entirely be fulfilled with a web-based messenger. However, FB doesn't let people open messenger.com from a mobile browser. And if you request the desktop site, it's virtually unusable on the tiny phone screen. It must have been really hard to make a responsive messenger UI.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#15This announcement coming on the same day as the post about Facebook not using the microphone in the app seems strange to me.
I don't want any Facebook apps on my phone due to privacy and tracking reasons, and so I used the web view (with an app wrapper like Tinfoil with location disabled), now I won't be able to send messages any longer.
Guess I won't be using Messenger any longer.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#16I mean, to be fair, the only thing I use Facebook for is Messenger, and the Messenger app is actually halfway decent. It caches user names and pictures a little too aggressively, and the new trend of "let's add a row of buttons to the text input box, doubling its size to reduce screen space for features that should be optional" is incredibly obnoxious, but overall it's a decent app. It's obviously not designed for the users, but it's better than the Hangouts app.
This isn't to say that removing the web functionality isn't a dick move and fairly user-hostile, but I don't really understand why so many people act like Messenger.app is an affront to god and man.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#17Eventually facebook will become so user hostile the network effect will mean that so many people are leaving it'll be like Digg and Myspace all over again. Can we go back to the time when companies tried to please users instead of advertisers?
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#18Facebook's forced migration of their users from basic, functional chat is, in my opinion, more frustrating than any single decision they've made to date (perhaps second to platform risk materializing to those businesses built on top of them). I once had a (protracted) debate with one of their earliest product designers who defended the decision unconditionally. His arguments were—more or less—"it's better for the use…
"better for the user" does not mean "better for EVERY user". A product team has to prioritize. I hate the permissions demanded by messenger, but for me it is nicer to use than the mobile site.
I'm curious what people prefer about the web chat version?
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#19This announcement coming on the same day as the post about Facebook not using the microphone in the app seems strange to me. I don't want any Facebook apps on my phone due to privacy and tracking reasons, and so I used the web view (with an app wrapper like Tinfoil with location disabled), now I won't be able to send messages any longer. Guess I won't be using Messenger any longer.
You can disable microphone access for Messenger app. I disable everything and only enable them when needed.
Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger
#20I dislike this change. I specifically only access Facebook on my phone via the web app because (1) it saves significant battery and (2) I absolutely do not want the popup bubbles during the work day from church and other social groups I am connected to on Facebook. Ultimately, all this means is that I will stop accessing Facebook Messenger on my phone all together. I will communicate with the people who matter most over the Signal app or plain old SMS or email.