Facebook Messenger 3.0 • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#11

Post by 001sky » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:12 AM UTC

ConceitedCode wrote: post #6

rlu wrote: post #4

It's interesting how they call it texting rather than messaging. I almost thought for a second they really meant SMS.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it is more than just messaging and might include SMS. From the Play store description, "Not just for Facebook friends: Now you can message people in your phone book. And it's easy to add new contacts—just enter a phone number.". The android app also requires permission to edit/create SMS messages and make phone calls. If so, does this mean we can be able to send an SMS from facebo…

Now you can message people in your phone book

Doesn't this mean FB will be hacking your phone book? Nice backdoor...

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#12

Post by spicyj » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:14 AM UTC

The iOS release notes (on https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook-messenger/id4546384...) say:

"Not just for Facebook friends: Now you can message people in your phone book. And it's easy to add new contacts—just enter a phone number."

so perhaps it does include an SMS bridge.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#13

Post by brianbreslin » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:22 AM UTC

mentos wrote: post #7

>'say it better with stickers' Can't believe how much money is to be had from selling stickers in messaging apps

One of those asian messaging app companies makes 20%+ of their revenue from stickers (tens of millions of $ a month)

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#14

Post by brianbreslin » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:23 AM UTC

So this is a shot across the bow at WhatsApp and kik and MessageMe right? Those apps are incredibly popular in developing nations.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#15

Post by natesm » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:23 AM UTC

If you install this, the messaging tab in the primary Facebook app now just switches you to the Messenger app. What a weird choice.

I decided to uninstall Messenger, I like being able to chat while browsing other Facebook pages.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#16

Post by FiloSottile » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:25 AM UTC

spicyj wrote: post #12

The iOS release notes (on https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook-messenger/id4546384... ) say: "Not just for Facebook friends: Now you can message people in your phone book. And it's easy to add new contacts—just enter a phone number." so perhaps it does include an SMS bridge.

Just checked. No SMS bridge, just a WhatsApp-like phone numbers based contacts system.

This means you can message anyone who uses Messenger if you have his phone number.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#17

Post by jsmeaton » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:27 AM UTC

mikelbring wrote: post #9

I just prefer to use the FB app it self. When I was using the Messenger app, I would get a notification from Messenger and the FB app, it got rather annoying.

Agreed, I had to remove messenger because of that - it annoyed me that much.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#18

Post by FiloSottile » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:27 AM UTC

Note: I think the app is syncing your address book with FB servers.

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#19

Post by depoll » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:27 AM UTC

rlu wrote: post #8

ConceitedCode wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it is more than just messaging and might include SMS. From the Play store description, "Not just for Facebook friends: Now you can message people in your phone book. And it's easy to add new contacts—just enter a phone number.". The android app also requires permission to edit/create SMS messages and make phone calls. If so, does this mean we can be able to send an SMS from facebo…

I assume (but don't know!) that the "find people by entering their phone number" feature simply tries to find Facebook users with lax enough privacy settings such that (a) they expose their phone numbers to maybe friends or friends and (b) they allow non-friends to message them. Otherwise I feel like they would phrase it as "message people who aren't on Facebook!" What Android screenshot are you looking at that makes…

This seems to answer the question: https://www.facebook.com/help/458736564237313

Re: Facebook Messenger 3.0

#20

Post by knice » Thu, Nov 14, 2013, 5:27 AM UTC

001sky wrote: post #11

ConceitedCode wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it is more than just messaging and might include SMS. From the Play store description, "Not just for Facebook friends: Now you can message people in your phone book. And it's easy to add new contacts—just enter a phone number.". The android app also requires permission to edit/create SMS messages and make phone calls. If so, does this mean we can be able to send an SMS from facebo…

Now you can message people in your phone book Doesn't this mean FB will be hacking your phone book? Nice backdoor...

When you launch the updated Messenger app on iOS, it asks for permission to use your contacts. The alert message was sufficiently creepy that I didn't give it permission to "sync contacts" with Facebook.