Facebook is dumbing down its mobile web app to help push more users onto Messenger.
The company is currently serving notifications to users who send messages on the mobile web application, letting them know that the feature will soon disappear. The notice reads:
“Your conversations are moving to Messenger. Soon you’ll only be able to view your messages from Messenger.”
Note that the change hasn’t gone live, so don’t panic just yet. But at some undisclosed point this summer, you will no longer be able to send messages using the mobile website. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Facebook said that the decision was made to offer users the “best experience” in messaging with the Messenger app.
Facebook has 1.65 billion monthly active users worldwide
However, it’s likely that users who rely on the web app – like people running old OS versions – will feel sour about the decision. For Facebook to make one service worse by removing features with the end-goal of promoting another seems hostile.
It’s also worth remembering that users don’t like being told what services to use, as evidenced by Windows 10. Microsoft has been under fire for months over its aggressive tactics to get users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows OS.
Facebook Messenger launched on August 9, 2011, and had 900 million monthly active users as of April this year. That’s in contrast to Facebook proper, which has a more substantial 1.65 billion active users.
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Do you think Facebook is doing anything wrong here? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
