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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

#41
post #19
post #15

This 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.

I assume you must be on Android 6.0? Some (most) of us are still on older phones without that functionality.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#42
post #18

Facebook'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?

The web version has no obnoxious notifications (yeah I know you can block them), but the big reason for me is that it's unable to access your contact list, text messages, photo gallery, camera, microphone and GPS. I don't want to share that information with Facebook/5 Eyes.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#43
post #37
post #35

The reason I use the web interface and not the app are following: - you can't disable notifications - you can't secure your app (aka Pin protection or a password) - huge battery drain as it is constantly connected to the internet. The web app is easy. You log in and you check your messages. An alternative for android that I have found for Android is called fast Facebook. It shows a web view of the chat and ignores th…

- you can't disable notifications You absolutely can mute conversations, tap the (i) at the top of each convo, very first menu option should be "Notifications". With you on everything else.

if i understand you correctly, that's muting conversations on a one-at-a-time basis, which is not the same as being able to globally disable notifications from the app

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#44
post #37
post #35

The reason I use the web interface and not the app are following: - you can't disable notifications - you can't secure your app (aka Pin protection or a password) - huge battery drain as it is constantly connected to the internet. The web app is easy. You log in and you check your messages. An alternative for android that I have found for Android is called fast Facebook. It shows a web view of the chat and ignores th…

- you can't disable notifications You absolutely can mute conversations, tap the (i) at the top of each convo, very first menu option should be "Notifications". With you on everything else.

Yes indeed you can with a max time until your alarm goes of. I want to determine myself how long I disable my notifications.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#45
post #27
post #20

I 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 o…

Protip: www.messenger.com works on computers. Doesn't seem to work on mobile tho

> Doesn't seem to work on mobile tho

Did you try the Android "Request Desktop Site" checkbox?

Edit: just saw that Zem says that works: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11835060

Edit 2: Jeswin says it isn't useable: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11834996

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#46
post #43
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- you can't disable notifications You absolutely can mute conversations, tap the (i) at the top of each convo, very first menu option should be "Notifications". With you on everything else.

if i understand you correctly, that's muting conversations on a one-at-a-time basis, which is not the same as being able to globally disable notifications from the app

You can disable those too, click the "Profile" icon (the one with the silhouette) at the main screen, third menu option after user name and phone number is notifications. Globally.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#47
post #44
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- you can't disable notifications You absolutely can mute conversations, tap the (i) at the top of each convo, very first menu option should be "Notifications". With you on everything else.

Yes indeed you can with a max time until your alarm goes of. I want to determine myself how long I disable my notifications.

Well...you have incremental time options, or you can set it to "Until I turn it back on". Only globally has a limit to turn off EVERYTHING for 24 hours. Otherwise, you can disable wholesale the sound and popup notification with no max time. I'm no FB support person, just a heavy user of the App.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#48
post #20

I 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 o…

I wonder where that leaves the say 10% of users that use a browser because they are on an device that isn't supported by Messenger (obsolete Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Fire, etc).

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#49
post #17

Eventually 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?

I think we are slowly going back to the time when social networks didn't exist.

The "social network" generation is maturing enough to know better than using social networks, and the new generation considers them lame and apparently prefer more discreet methods of communication and socializing.

FB(the platform), Twitter and the rest, are slowly finding their place as news aggregators and celebrity/corp point of presence.

As for FB, the company, I just hope they keep giving us amazing tools like RocksDB and React.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#50
post #41
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can disable microphone access for Messenger app. I disable everything and only enable them when needed.

I assume you must be on Android 6.0? Some (most) of us are still on older phones without that functionality.

Ah you're right. I'm on iOS.
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