Messenger is coming back to Facebook after 9 years

Messenger will be merged into the Facebook app. Photo: Messenger

Nine years after Messenger split from Facebook, it looks like the two apps are about to merge into one. In a recent blog post, Facebook chief Tom Alison said the company is testing a feature that will allow users to access their Messenger inbox from within the Facebook app. The testing will expand over the next few months.

Alison also affirmed that, “contrary to reports, Facebook is not dead but is actually alive and well with 2 billion daily active users.”

According to Facebook's leadership, people use Facebook not only to connect with friends and family, but also to discover and engage with what matters most to them.

When Messenger was spun off from Facebook in 2014, it quickly added other features like location sharing, voice calls, and payments. It also added encrypted chat, emoji sending, and video chat. At the time, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that this was to provide a “better experience.”

In addition, Facebook is working to integrate and enhance the interoperability between Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Messenger and Instagram users can communicate with each other via direct messaging. Meta has also seen some success with its community chat feature for Facebook Groups.

According to The Verge, this is not surprising news. In June 2022, The Verge reported on plans to bring Messenger back to Facebook. Social media consultant Matt Navarra also discovered that Meta was testing this feature in December of the same year.

The Verge's Alex Heath said the change is meant to help Facebook better compete with TikTok. TikTok integrates messaging within the app, something Facebook removed nearly a decade ago.

According to Vietnamnet