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Official application that allows you to chat with your contacts on your desktop or tablet

Official application that allows you to chat with your contacts on your desktop or tablet

Vote: (5,622 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Facebook

Version: 1880.11.164.0

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac Android

Vote:

Program license

(5,622 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Facebook

1880.11.164.0

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac Android

Pros

  • Is an official product designed and released by Facebook
  • Lets you send messages to a single person or multiple people
  • Has a clean and basic interface that is easy to use
  • Can integrate Messenger with your toolbar
  • Has a feature that lets you send photo messages to others

Cons

  • Replaces the messaging system previously available on Facebook
  • Takes up some space on your hard drive
  • Does not have an option for attaching or sending a video file
  • Does not have any integration features for using other Facebook features
  • Sometimes takes too long to load

With Facebook Messenger, you can now chat instantly with friends and loved ones you follow on Facebook. Messenger works with Windows 10 operating systems and comes with features that let you send messages to people you aren't friends with on the website.

Facebook is the top social media site on the web today. While it once let you access your messages from your Facebook page while on your phone or tablet, it now requires that you use Facebook Messenger to send and receive messages from those devices. This app will work on all those devices as well as desktop and laptop computers. If you run Windows 10, you can even integrate the app with your toolbar to check messages while surfing the web.

This newer version of Messenger is perfect for Windows 10 users because it works with Live Tiles. You can create a tile just for the messenger program. When you get a new message, that tile will instantly notify you that you have a message waiting. You can also pin the app to your start menu for viewing new messages every time you turn on your computer. To remain up to date, you must remain connected to the internet.

The main reason Facebook created Messenger is because it received complaints from users of the site. The messaging system on the site requires that you remain logged in your Facebook account and on the site to chat with friends. As you send and receive messages, you'll face distractions from updates regarding comments on your posts, game requests and new updates posted by your friends. With Facebook Messenger, you can chat for hours without facing those same distractions. The app will never notify you of any updates or changes to Facebook, and you do not need to visit the site to check your messages.

Messenger comes with a simple and easy to use interface that shows you all the contacts in your list. It also tells you whether those people are currently online and the last time they used the app. This can give you an idea of when they might see the message that you send and if any of your friends are available for a live chat. You can then select the name of a contact, type out a message and send it almost instantly.

When using Messenger on a touchscreen device, you can use your finger to scroll through and in-between pages on the interface. Each time that you open it, you'll see a list of your most recent messages. You can view the name of the person who sent it, a smaller version of his or her profile pick, the date that person sent the message and the first few words of the message. Messenger will keep a copy of each message saved until you delete it.

Hold down on any message to view all your options. If you received a group message, which is a message sent to multiple people, you can opt to leave the group or mute the conversation to keep updates from coming through later. All messages come with options for moving the message to your archive, marking the message as spam, deleting it or marking it as unread.

The next section contains information about your groups. You can create different groups for sending messages to friends, family members, coworkers or specific groups of friends. This feature also lets you view everyone in your group, edit those groups and view past messages. The app also comes with an active setting that shows you all your Facebook contacts who are currently active and online.

One flaw with Messenger is that it does not support video messages. You'll need to use another app to chat with loved ones via video messages online. This also keeps you from attaching and sending videos in a message. To send those videos, you need to save the link and copy the address of that link in your message. Friends can then click on the link and load the video.

While it does not let you send video messages, it does support photos. You can attach almost any type of photo file, including GIF and JPEG files. The app even has a small paperclip button that you can click to attach a file. You can send photos you saved on your computer or device and those found online. It also lets you send standard text messages and virtual stickers.

With Facebook Messenger, you can also send recorded voice messages that you record and save on your computer. This is a great way to wish someone a happy holiday or a happy birthday. Facebook streamlines the process of sending messages to help you accomplish the task with ease.

As soon as you log into your Facebook account, the app will automatically update and fill your contact list with the names of people on your friend's list. This makes it even easier to send messages to those you know. Though you can send messages to other users who are not on your list, doing this is a little harder.

Facebook Messenger now comes with support for a variety of games too. Not only can you play on your own, but you can send requests to challenge your friends. Messenger is really a must have for Facebook users.

Pros

  • Is an official product designed and released by Facebook
  • Lets you send messages to a single person or multiple people
  • Has a clean and basic interface that is easy to use
  • Can integrate Messenger with your toolbar
  • Has a feature that lets you send photo messages to others

Cons

  • Replaces the messaging system previously available on Facebook
  • Takes up some space on your hard drive
  • Does not have an option for attaching or sending a video file
  • Does not have any integration features for using other Facebook features
  • Sometimes takes too long to load