Apps

Zuck explains why you need a separate Facebook Messenger app

posted by Michael H. / Nov 06, 2014, 8:41 PM

Zuck explains why you need a separate Facebook Messenger app

Not too long ago, Facebook caused a bit of trouble with its users by decoupling messaging from the full mobile Facebook app and forcing users to download a separate Messenger app. Facebook didn't help itself out by keeping quiet on the reasons for making the change, but Mark Zuckerberg finally explained the decision in a live Q&A session today.

The short answer is that messaging is one of the only things that people do on mobile more than going on Facebook, and Facebook wanted to have an app that focused specifically on that function. Here's the much longer answer straight from Zuck:

I'm grateful for hard questions. It keeps us honest. We need to be able to explain clearly why what we're thinking is good. Asking everyone in our community to install a new app is a big ask. I appreciate that that was work and required friction. We wanted to do this because we believe that this is a better experience. Messaging is becoming increasingly important. On mobile, each app can only focus on doing one thing well, we think.
The primary purpose of the Facebook app is News Feed. Messaging was this behavior people were doing more and more. 10 billion messages are sent per day, but in order to get to it you had to wait for the app to load and go to a separate tab. We saw that the top messaging apps people were using were their own app. These apps that are fast and just focused on messaging. You're probably messaging people 15 times per day. Having to go into an app and take a bunch of steps to get to messaging is a lot of friction.

Messaging is one of the few things people do more than social networking. In some countries 85 percent of people are on Facebook, but 95 percent of people use SMS or messaging. Asking folks to install another app is a short term painful thing, but if we wanted to focus on serving this [use case] well, we had to build a dedicated and focused experience. We build for the whole community. Why wouldn't we let people choose to install the app on their own at their own pace? The reason is that what we're trying to do is build a service that's good for everyone. Because Messenger is faster and more focused, if you're using it, you respond to messages faster, we've found. If your friends are slower to respond, we might not have been able to meet up.

This is some of the hardest stuff we do, is making these choices. We realize that we have a lot to earn in terms of trust and proving that this standalone messenger experience will be really good. We have some of our most talented people working on this.

What do you guys think? Is this a good enough explanation?

source: Facebook via The Verge

FEATURED VIDEO

Options

42 Comments

1. baldilocks

Posts: 1540; Member since: Dec 14, 2008

Bad logic. I still use the Facebook app to get to the new messenger app. Didn't make any difference.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 8:43 PM 0

6. cezarepc

Posts: 718; Member since: Nov 23, 2012

I think their long term plan is to challenge established messengers (like Skype), so might be painful now, but may potentially be fruitful as well. Just a matter of time before FB starts offering paid air minutes.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:02 PM 9

16. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

In that case it does make a difference; you now have to open a completely new app every time you want to send a Facebook message. This is exactly the way I would have used it as well, but I just decided that stupid decisions aren't worth my time, so I uninstalled Facebook instead, and now only check it once a day on my laptop. Great decision there, Zuckerberg!

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:46 PM 2

32. buccob

Posts: 2975; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

I did the same... knowing that the FB app is a RAM, Battery and Storage hog, I rather keep the FB Messenger installed and delete the FB app... limit my use to the mobile web page, or to my laptop... All in all I do like the Messenger app, I like the floating chatheads in Android... Recently I decided to uninstall and disable redundant apps such as Viber, Skype, BBM, Line... since I can do everything with all of my contacts within Whatsapp, Hangouts and FB messenger.

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 8:34 AM 3

37. Fellwalker

Posts: 538; Member since: Apr 04, 2014

Chatheads is a horrendous battery hog. It sucks the life out of my wife's nexus 7. I won't have anything to do with it on my tablet or phone. The more Facebook intrudes, the less I use it.

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 4:56 PM 0

2. megaSUNNY

Posts: 88; Member since: Jun 26, 2012

Answer Sucks Zucks

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 8:47 PM 10

9. vincelongman

Posts: 5723; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

Also he still hasn't brought chat heads over to iOS/WP How come they are only available on Android

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:24 PM 1

27. megaSUNNY

Posts: 88; Member since: Jun 26, 2012

hm... what you said also makes sense

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 4:51 AM 0

34. TBomb

Posts: 1566; Member since: Dec 28, 2012

maybe ios and WP dont allow for that to happen since ios is locked down like area 51... to get chatheads on the homescreen approved by apple would prove difficult. Idk the story with WP.. assuming it's similar though...

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 9:05 AM 1

33. buccob

Posts: 2975; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

What they should explain is the need for so many permissions....

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 8:39 AM 1

35. downphoenix

Posts: 3165; Member since: Jun 19, 2010

He should do something like "(Rhymes with his name) off." I can understand if they separated the app for that purpose... but why then remove the feature from the main app itself? His explanation is not legitimate. I don't use the Facebook app anymore anyway, it is an NSA backdoor that compromises your phone and I hope to be strong willed enough one day to stop using Facebook entirely and delete my account. Till then, I access it via the browser.

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 2:02 PM 1

3. Sreddy unregistered

He makes sense,but however at the end of the day. its better to give options and let users decide for themselves; what suits them best and whats a better experience for them.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 8:50 PM 5

26. rowdysheeter

Posts: 74; Member since: Sep 10, 2014

is there a way of disliking your comment?

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 2:40 AM 0

39. cezarepc

Posts: 718; Member since: Nov 23, 2012

If you find a way do tell us so I can dislike yours.

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 10:09 PM 0

4. DeusExCellula

Posts: 1390; Member since: Oct 05, 2014

Uhhh thats a crappy answer. As Zucks says "On mobile, each app can only focus on doing one thing well, we think." So then there should be one app for reading notifications, one app for uploading pictures and managing photos, one app for notifications ect. ect. ect. instead of 1 app you want us to install 2 resource hogging apps? Those of us with low spec android devices with 512-1GB of RAM will notice a significant lag in our phone due to Messenger and Facebook always running, always consuming resources even when they are not in use. Now we respond to messages SLOWER because of system lag.. Thanks Zucks...

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 8:54 PM 3

14. aba71983

Posts: 807; Member since: Jul 24, 2014

I agree with you even I'm not using android phone. FB apps can only install into phone memory and not for the SD card and that's bad for those who have low-end android phone. But in iOS, we never think that way because everything is under control.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:03 PM 0

17. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

Yes, because you've paid a fortune for the privilege, and by the way now you're 100% stuck with the memory that you decided upon at the time of purchase...

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:51 PM 0

5. BUFFQREWBBQ

Posts: 46; Member since: May 11, 2014

I notice lag cause of fb messenger on my note 4. I honestly want to stop using facebook altogether because of this stupid messenger app that they're making a requirement.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:01 PM 2

18. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

Do it; I did and it's really not much of a loss... :-)

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:52 PM 1

19. yUlek

Posts: 57; Member since: May 14, 2014

Search for use facebook messages without messenger on XDA forums, can't post links because I don't have 30 posts. Follow this tutorial to stop using messenger. It basically installs fake messenger apk and make you able to use Facebook app messenger.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:54 PM 2

42. TU_Buckeye29

Posts: 13; Member since: Sep 06, 2011

THANK YOU!!

posted on Nov 08, 2014, 10:05 AM 0

43. BUFFQREWBBQ

Posts: 46; Member since: May 11, 2014

Thank you so much, sad we have to go about it this way, but glad we can circumvent that stupid messenger app.

posted on Nov 08, 2014, 4:13 PM 0

7. rallyguy

Posts: 620; Member since: Mar 13, 2012

Or it could be that they can data mine you more via the app then through the web.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:06 PM 3

8. jojon

Posts: 435; Member since: Feb 11, 2014

"why wouldn't we let people choose to install the app..!!" Choose Zucky baby? Having a WP i can choose, and i chose not, others not so.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:24 PM 1

10. blazee

Posts: 414; Member since: Jan 02, 2012

Everyone can chose

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:29 PM 0

11. quakan

Posts: 1418; Member since: Mar 02, 2011

There was no issue with messaging within the Facebook app. This is strictly for their own agenda.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:32 PM 6

12. Planterz

Posts: 2120; Member since: Apr 30, 2012

F#$k Zuck.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 9:35 PM 0

13. Fazz1977

Posts: 153; Member since: Oct 15, 2014

I call bulls**t on this. It's slower to access, intrusive, and decimates battery life as it runs as a service. My G3 gets 3 days per charge, with FB Messenger installed it gets 3-6 hours. It's a rubbish app, and I spend the time to go out into the website version to do messaging if needs be. 15 messages a day on facebook? Are you nuts... I might do 15 a month. People just txt me.

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:00 PM 0

15. zachattack

Posts: 621; Member since: Jul 31, 2013

I call bulls**t, no way is your g3 making 3 days rofl. Maybe if you never use it sure. If you use it then you get 4-5hrs don't blame Facebook for the reality that is crappy 2k display battery life

posted on Nov 06, 2014, 10:37 PM 0

40. cezarepc

Posts: 718; Member since: Nov 23, 2012

15 messages a day might seem to many for you, but FB's goal is to turn their messaging service into a real competitor to the likes of established messaging providers like Skype and Viber.

posted on Nov 07, 2014, 10:13 PM 0

view all comments