Many people have had concerns about Facebook Messenger. As an app, it allows people to access their messaging system through Facebook without needing to access the social network. This makes it much easier to instantly communicate with people on mobile devices. Here are the benefits of using this app and a comprehensive look at the concerns many people have with installing it on their device.
The Pros of Facebook Messenger
1. It makes it faster to chat.
This app connects directly to Facebook’s chatting system, so people can send and receive messages more quickly than if they were going through a mobile browser. This is because the messaging system appears immediately on the screen of a user’s preferred device.
2. It’s like texting, but without the cost.
SMS texting may cost up to $0.10 per message depending on the plan an individual has. MMS messages may be $0.25 each or more. Although Facebook Messenger uses data, users can send texts and pictures without accessing those costs.
3. It can be used for collaboration.
Facebook Messenger allows users to send files and links with ease. If you’re telecommuting or working at a mobile office site, this will keep employees in touch with each other if they are working on a project together.
4. Users can make calls.
This apps allows users to speak with one another. It also gives people the ability to speak within groups if they so choose. If a user happens to be overseas, then Facebook Messenger can even be used to call a specific phone number.
5. Many permissions are only needed when users want to use a specific feature.
If the user of an Apple device never tries to make a voice call with the Messenger app, then they’ll never need to give the app permission to use their microphone. This isn’t necessarily true with other operating systems, but is an important point of which to take note.
6. Nothing in life is ever truly free.
You watch advertisements when watching a football game all the time. You have the option to purchase in-app things for games that are freemium products. For Messenger, the trade-off is that you send some limited personal information to advertisers because you need the features that the app can provide.
The Cons of Facebook Messenger
1. It’s difficult to completely protect your privacy.
Part of the terms and conditions that are accepted when using Facebook Messenger include recording audio at any time without permission and calling phone numbers without intervention.
2. It adds another distraction to life.
If you’re trying to get some work done, then you need to limit distractions. Installing Facebook Messenger adds another distraction. This is because you receive notifications of when a message comes through. If you’re like the average person, most close friends use texts or calls to communicate and not the IM feature here, so the notifications are something you don’t really need to see.
3. It can quickly drain the battery of your device.
The Messenger App is always functioning in the background of your device. It will also cause your device to send out a vibration or audio alert when new messages are received. If you receive several notifications each day and leave the app up to receive them, you might not make it through a work day with your preferred device.
4. Users are forced to use Messenger if they use the Facebook app.
If you go through your browser for messages, then there is no change to Facebook’s messaging system. If you’re an app user, however, then you were forced to use Messenger and that’s never a good feeling for a consumer.
5. It takes up a lot of space.
You’ll be using 100+ MB of storage space on your mobile device if you’re using both Facebook apps to access your profile and social network. If you have limited space, then this can become a severe problem rather rapidly.
6. It’s service can be choppy.
If you need to update your operating system, then there is a good chance that you’ll need to update this app as well. It can lock up on users from time to time, especially if there is more than one app open, and that limits its usefulness on lower end devices especially.
These Facebook Messenger pros and cons show that it can be a useful app if you don’t mind approving the permissions and dealing with the potential security issues you may face. Browsers have limited speed on mobile devices, so this app can improve your speed. If that’s not something that interests you, then consider these additional key points to see if downloading Messenger is the right choice for you.
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