The latest update to Facebook’s Messenger app will let you use it even if you don’t have (or want) an account for the social-media platform.
It’s still Facebook, though, so you’re going to have to cough up some personal info.
“With Messenger, we’ve been focused on creating the best messaging experience possible by giving people a fun and easy way to connect and express themselves with friends and contacts,” a post on the Facebook blog says. “If you’re in Canada, the United States, Peru or Venezuela, we are starting to roll out a new way for you to sign up for Messenger – without a Facebook account.”
The new option shows up when you first download and open the app; you can either log in with your Facebook account or select the new “Not on Facebook?” option. From there, you provide your name, phone number, and a photo, and then you can start chatting away like the cool kids.
Photo: Facebook
Facebook-less Messenger provides a way for the company to make its services available to those who, for whatever reason, may not want a full-on account. And it positions Messenger even further as an independent app that doesn’t need a cat-riddled news feed to do its job.
