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Meta is also planning to drop its native WhatsApp Windows app in favor of a web wrapper version soon, in what looks like a move to simplify WhatsApp development.
So they are just going back to what they had before, probably to save money.
But don’t they have AI now which makes development so much faster, easier and cheaper? It’s these things where you can see these companies are full of bullshit.
What? It feels like a web wrapper right now, I always thought it was an old backend because the web app had better functionality.
IIRC the WhatsApp app is a native Windows app using C++ and XAML, while the Messenger app is a React Native app.
Tangentially related but I have to harp on about it because almost nobody is saying it. Microsoft —and specifically xbox — Had it’s most profitable yearS ever and people (journalists) still try to rationalize every time they raise prices and lay off thousands and thousands of workers
The AI stuff might genuinely factor into it, I largely don’t use it myself but from what I understand from some colleagues it’s churning out decent react and co, while other languages can have mixed results.
That’s quite an interesting take. I also noticed that it’s magnitudes better at coding with common frameworks and often sucks with more niche applications.
Have to boost those Facebook page visit numbers!
yup. i have a bunch of users that won't be happy. they only still have fb for messenger, use the messenger app, and never go to fb itself anymore.
You can still use the web version.
Wouldn't that mean visiting Facebook?
messenger.com
for thier fake AI users to train.
Desktop site is the only place I access messages. Get fucked Zuck I'm not putting your spyware on my phone. If that method ever goes away, I guess no more messages for me..
I just flat out quit messenger when they made it app-only. I'm not installing that shit in my phone or my computer. Facebook on my phone is just the web app.
Best part is no little red digits telling me I'm missing out on something (spam and shit I don't care about 95% of the time). I check it when I think to. That's once every few months which is about how often I'm interested in updates from people who aren't in my life any more.
I'd like to replace all of my apps with bookmarks eventually. No one needs that kind of data on me.
I just flat out quit messenger when they made it app-only.
but they didn't.
or you mean on the phone? switch on desktop site mode in firefox and done. but it's harder to use on phone sized screens
I did that for like a year, but eventually I lost my ability to use it even through a browser. Not sure why your experience was different. Maybe Android vs. iOS? Anyway, I've been off it so long now it doesn't matter. No one uses it to reach me.
You can still use the website. This is just talking about the native apps.
Considering the unrelenting data snatching capacity of the desktop app, there are only 3 plausible reasons Facebook, a company so maliciously money hungry that it might just prove the absence of god, would choose to deprecate it
1: something is fundamentally wrong with the app and they feel they are liable for greater damages than their potential profits
2: they’ve improved their data collection on browsers to the point that both methods are equally profitable
3: they don’t believe they need the money. (This one sincerely terrified me)
Yeah, someone has looked at the spreadsheet and realised that basically no one uses the desktop app I'll bet
Facebook web on mobile browser already doesn't allow messenger, and tells you to get the app. Pulling messenger from the desktop web browser will be the next move, forcing people to app completely.
Glad I don't use it.
And that's when I'm installing Prosody on my VDS and telling family to use Conversations.
and 5. They know that they're not going to lose any meaningful number of users by getting rid of these apps that just cost them money needlessly
I don't have any knowledge about this in particular, but as someone with experience working at big tech companies, you're missing the most likely reason:
A lot of teams are only 3-6 developers, an engineering manager, a project manager, and a designer. Other roles like content design and QA are often shared across lots of teams. Developers with experience building native apps might be needed on other projects.
let me guess ... you will now have to ask an ai agent to communicate to your contacts for you
Honest question: who even uses this bullshit?
Mostly, people with friends.
Phew, dodged that bullet 😎
I always do that Neo dodge, but we all know how that ended.
WhatsApp and Messenger are the #1 and #3 most used messaging apps in the world. (#2 is WeChat)
In Australia where I'm from, Messenger is the most popular by far.
All my mates still sms which feel like one step from the bush telephone these days.
Students, especially in the Philippines and some 3rd world countries. You can basically use Messenger and Facebook without data, just without images or video. For the sake of accessibility schools tend to use these services.
Messages is the only place they don’t spam ads at you. I use the messenger app for work because they think Facebook is the best way to do business communications. Maybe I’ll be able to convince them to switch to something else.
Teams!
/j /j /j
Hell no
Dafuk?
All my friends are on Messenger. It's garbage app. More garbage is only Viber where I have my relatives. Pure suffering.
Based on how often it happens, "curse and find whatever f'n tab is now making the noise" is my favourite game.
Fuck this "web as app" shit.
I'm confused. Are you upset the app is being removed? As in you don't like webapps, you want them as apps?
Finally! Meta does something for the good of humanity!
I avoid those desktop apps, anyway. I just keep them in browser tabs. Not that I frequent Facebook.
i only ever use facebook not logged into to download maps for a old game, and i use ublock origin to remove the annoying login screen.
Ugh, the only thing I hate more than a few people I regularly talk with still using Messenger is having to deal with the desktop client. Now this 🙄
I moved to a web browser but I can't even get push notifications working.
I can't even get push notifications working.
Which browser? Safari is notorious for having a lot of bugs around push notifications, but Chrome and Firefox should both work.
ive been using beeper so its a matter if they kill the API in my case. (im surprised they didn't nuke the API first)
I always mourn the loss of native apps. There are always so many downsides. And they harm platform consistency, etc.
Don’t get me started on Discord not supporting the native spell check. The built in spell check is terrible.
And they harm platform consistency, etc.
Unfortunately, a lot of major apps aren't consistent any more. Each app uses its own design language and its own UI widgets, rather than using proper native ones. Often they're no better than web apps. I hate it and would rather just use a web app instead.
Yeah 😔
Somehow they believe this will increase their user base...
They're trying to become the WeChat of the west lolol
