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

techcrunch.com

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

#211

Post by em3rgent0rdr »

e12e wrote: post #156
areyoucrazy wrote: post #73

I have stopped using Facebook (Twitter and everything social) half a decade ago. I don't use messaging apps and turn on my phone only when I really need to. Result: more free time to do interesting and productive things and people aren't bothering me as much. I have taken control of my life and I'm not being pushed around to do things based on notifications or desire for artificial status(likes, retweet, stars). Stop…

How is HN not a social network? (I'm not being snarky, I'm just curious on your line of thinking here)

each human can have multiple identities as well.

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

#212

Post by crummy »

the_duke wrote: post #197

I very determinantly refuse to install both the regular FB app and the messenger, even though this is quite inconvenient as I often miss messages or event invites. But they require pretty much EVERY PERMISSION there is on Android, which is ridiciolous, and totally inacceptable to me. So this change will make it even harder for me to access FB messaging. Buuh.

Are you on a modern Android build? You can now selectively enable permissions, as of Android 6.0.

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

#213

Post by garethadams »

goodplay wrote: post #75
optforfon wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you can turn off the bubbles...

Tyranny of the defaults goes both ways; If you're software doesn't have sane defaults, I will search for another.

That's interesting, because from your comment history you're in favour of user-specified preferences: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11114154

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

#214

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

hk__2 wrote: post #203
click170 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that Facebook has intentionally changed the email address of contacts in people's phones without asking them [0]. This does not change my mind about banning all Facebook apps from my devices, it just means even less Facebook for me. [0] http://www.cnet.com/how-to/facebook-changed-your-e-mail-addr... !

> Not to mention that Facebook has intentionally changed the email address of contacts in people's phones without asking them They changed it on FB, not in people’s phones.

That's not true, the Facebook app was "syncing" local contacts with Facebook, and thus modifying them.

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

#215

Post by erikb »

Yes, enforcing your users. That is how it works. (/sarcasm)

I was a very active facebook user for a long time and never imagined that I could stop using it, having so many of my relationships hosted in there. But honestly it all went so strange. 90% of the FB notifications are spam. The very good inapp chat was replaced by a worse extra app and now they enforce it everywhere. In the end I just deactivated notifications for all of that. Byebye, social network.

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

#216

Post by sdoering »

erikb wrote: post #215

Yes, enforcing your users. That is how it works. (/sarcasm) I was a very active facebook user for a long time and never imagined that I could stop using it, having so many of my relationships hosted in there. But honestly it all went so strange. 90% of the FB notifications are spam. The very good inapp chat was replaced by a worse extra app and now they enforce it everywhere. In the end I just deactivated notificatio…

I rotally agree. During the last months I monitored myself using FB less and less.

For years I have to used the app or messenger. If needed I only ever access the website. If they take the messaging functionality away I will even use it less. Or leave it all behind.

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

#217

Post by asabil »

SturgeonsLaw wrote: post #30
jds375 wrote: post #11

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.

I suspect it's less about solving problems and more about breaking out of that web browser sandbox to siphon up more of that juicy, juicy data.

Heard of messenger.com ?

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

#218

Post by peteretep »

em3rgent0rdr wrote: post #209
peteretep wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it that Messenger the app can access that Messenger via Facebook cannot, for people who take their privacy seriously?

Privacy concerned users can use wrappers around the Facebook website, such as the open source "Tinfoil for Facebook" or "Face Slim" android apps, then Facebook cannot access certain things (depending on your configuration). If have to use a proprietary facebook app, then likely cannot achieve the same degree of privacy protections.

I'm sorry. I still don't understand what specific information Facebook can gather from them using their app that they can't from the browser. When I look in my phone settings for the Messenger app, I can switch off it's ability to look at locations, photos, etc.

Tinfoil appears to be an app to specifically work around the fact that browsers can leak more information than the app would.

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