Facebook’s Messenger App: What You Need To Know

In recent weeks, Facebook has been the talk of the town by making it required for mobile users to download their Messenger app to send their friends messages from their mobile device. Users have been outraged by the change and many have gone to the app stores to leave negative reviews, resulting in a one-star overall rating for the app in Apple’s App Store for its current version. Although it should be noted that all versions of the app have a rating of 3.5 stars.

Many users have expressed concerns with the new app’s privacy settings, permissions, and use of the app. Here’s the truths you need to know about Facebook’s Messenger app.

Facebook’s Messenger App is Not New

The Messenger app has actually been around since 2011, with many users using it regularly before it became required. Facebook has made the app a standalone in order to offer more features, to upgrade the speed of Facebook messaging, and to give new features such as a selfie cam, stickers, and reaching people in your contacts who are not Facebook users.

The app is also not the only way to send messages on Facebook. Users can still send messages using a computer or laptop.

Facebook’s Privacy Terms Are Not New

Facebook holds the same privacy settings for all its apps and they are not all that different from any other messaging app. The app asks to use the user’s camera and microphone in order to send video messages with or without sound. Original messaging apps on phones ask for the same permissions. The app also needs permission to use the microphone on your phone in order to do voice calling, which is a feature only available on the standalone app.

Facebook’s Messenger App Will Not Send Messages Without Permission

One permission says that Facebook may edit, receive, read, and send SMS messages. However, Facebook says this is stated because if a user adds a phone number to a Messenger account, you can confirm by having Facebook send you a confirmation code via text message. 

Technology in general can seem invasive. Some of it can be very invasive, which is why it is important to always check up on the latest apps’ permissions. Facebook Messenger’s privacy settings are no different from the Facebook app’s settings, and users can accept or decline any privacy requests.

Will you be using Facebook’s Messenger app?

Published on: August 18, 2014