While Facebook for Android is the one-stop place to control a Facebook account, sometimes users just want to just talk directly with their friends without working through the whole app.
Facebook introduced their standalone Facebook Messenger app that focuses on contacting your friends directly.
Communicate with everyone
Facebook Messenger combines friends and mobile contacts to allow for group messages along with location-based functionality. The interface is simple and themed along with Facebook for Android, and also easy to use.
In version 2.0, Facebook rolled out SMS threading, a feature that makes chatting with your phone contacts much easier.
Since Facebook Messenger is focused on messaging, the app may seem a bit simplistic. It functions very similarly to other communication apps though, with the addition of location services. The group chat combines multiple users together and allows for messages to be collated in one window.
The latest update has included Chat Heads, a feature shown during Facebook's Facebook Home presentation for the launcher. It was not known ifChat Heads would be included outside the launcher.
Seamless integration
Facebook Messenger with Chat Heads simplifies using the app. If someone messages you, a small little circle will appear showing the face of the contact on your screen. You just tap on the contact and it will open the conversation.
If you have SMS enabled, you can also use Facebook Messenger to talk with phone contacts. Facebook contacts show up with a blue bubble and SMS messages show in green.
When you are finished communicating, you just swipe the icon down and remove the notification from your screen.
More of the same
The update to include Chat Heads does not add any different functionality to the app. The inclusion of Chat Heads makes it easier to communicate with Facebook and SMS contacts, but the majority of the app is the same.
Chat Heads is great because the notifications will sit above any running app. If you used Facebook Messenger before, the only noticeable difference is Chat Heads.
Worthwhile to replace the standard SMS app
Facebook Messenger does a great job in allowing you to communicate with friends on Facebook along with using the app as the primary SMS app.
Chat Heads adds a great new function by making notifications more transparent. If you communicate with friends through Facebook a lot, the app is worth downloading so you do not have to open the full Facebook app. Connecting your SMS contacts also makes Facebook Messenger also increases the usability.
What's new
- Instantly send stickers. Just tap the smiley and choose a playful kitten or another cute critter.
- Bug fixes.
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