Facebook has dropped the requirement that users need an account with the social network for its Messenger service with the Android version. With this, the chat service competes with alternatives such as WhatsApp, Google Talk and SMS.
From Tuesday, users of an Android device who want to create an account for Facebook Messenger only have to provide their name and phone number with the app. A Facebook account is no longer necessary. Initially, only users in India, Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela, and South Korea will be able to sign up this way, but Facebook promises to roll out the functionality to other countries soon.
Facebook Messenger offers, among other things, the possibility to have group conversations via chat and to exchange photos. Now that the requirement for a Facebook account has disappeared, Facebook is directly competing with the popular WhatsApp with its Messenger. It is not known when the account requirement will also be released on other platforms, such as iOS.
The news comes at a time when there are rumors of a possible takeover of WhatsApp by Facebook. WhatsApp has said those rumors are “inaccurate.”
Update, 4:49 PM: According to De Standaard can use the functionality worldwide next week. The newspaper claims to know this on the basis of Facebook’s PR agency.