Facebook Messenger is the default messaging app for Facebook, allowing users to send messages, photos, videos, voice messages, and more to friends and connections on the platform. However, some users may prefer to check and respond to Facebook messages directly on the Facebook app or website, rather than using the separate Messenger app.
Checking Facebook Messages on Mobile
The Facebook mobile app does not support checking Facebook messages without Messenger by default. When you tap on the Messages icon in the Facebook mobile app, you will automatically be redirected to the Messenger app if you have it installed on your device.
However, there is a workaround that allows you to view and respond to your Facebook messages directly within the Facebook mobile app:
- Open the Facebook app and tap on the Menu icon (three horizontal lines in the top right corner)
- Scroll down and tap on “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap on “Settings”
- Tap on “Media and Contacts”
- Turn on the setting for “Messaging Within Facebook”
Enabling this setting will override the default behavior of opening the Messenger app when you tap on Messages in the Facebook app. You will now be able to access, read and reply to your Facebook messages directly within the Facebook app.
Advantages of checking Facebook messages in the Facebook app:
- Avoid switching between different apps
- Integrated and consolidated experience
- Easily access other Facebook features
Disadvantages:
- Missing Messenger-only features like video calling
- No chatheads or floating messenger bubbles
- Limited message organization and search
Checking Facebook Messages on Desktop
On the desktop version of Facebook, you can access your messages in a couple of different ways:
- Click on the Messages icon on the left sidebar
- Click on the Messages menu at the top and select “Messages”
This will open the messages window within Facebook where you can view and send messages without needing to use Messenger.
Advantages of checking Facebook messages on desktop:
- Larger screen makes reading and typing easier
- Ability to multitask with other browser tabs and windows
- Faster and more powerful performance on most desktops
Disadvantages:
- No native desktop app, reliant on web browser
- Limited message organization features
- No access when offline
Turning Off Messenger Integration
If you prefer checking Facebook messages directly on the Facebook platform, you can disable the integration with Messenger completely:
- On desktop: Click on the Messenger icon in the bottom right
- On mobile: Tap on your profile picture in Messenger
- Tap on your name at the top of the panel
- Tap “Turn Off Integrations”
- Select “Turn Off” to disable integration
This will unlink your Facebook and Messenger accounts, so all messages will only be accessible on Facebook. However, you will lose access to Messenger-only features like video calling, chat heads, message extensions, and more.
Using Facebook Messages on Mobile Web
If you don’t want to download the Facebook mobile app, you can access Facebook messages through the mobile website:
- Go to www.facebook.com in your mobile web browser
- Log in to your Facebook account
- Tap the Messages icon (speech bubble symbol) on the bottom bar
This will open your messages in the browser, allowing you to exchange messages without Messenger. However, the mobile site has limited feature parity with the native apps, so you may miss out on some messaging tools.
Pros of mobile web:
- Avoid downloading the Facebook app
- Access messages from any mobile browser
- Messages are synced across devices
Cons:
- No native app notifications
- Limited features compared to Messenger
- Slow performance at times
Using Facebook Lite App
Facebook Lite is a stripped down version of the main Facebook app, designed for areas with slow internet speeds or limited data. It includes basic messaging capabilities within the app itself:
- Download Facebook Lite app on your mobile
- Log in to your Facebook account
- Tap the Messages icon on the bottom bar
This will let you access your messages without Messenger, although you may miss out on advanced features. Facebook Lite uses significantly less data than the main Facebook and Messenger apps.
Benefits of Facebook Lite:
- Small app size – under 1MB
- Uses less mobile data
- Fast performance on slow networks
- Integrated messaging
Limitations:
- Lacks many standard features
- Basic messaging tools only
- Lower media quality
- Not available in all regions
Using Third-Party Apps
There are some third-party apps that allow you to access your Facebook messages without Messenger:
- Friendly – Lightweight messaging app supporting Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Swipe – Messaging app focused on privacy and security.
- Hermit – Creates mini apps for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
These apps use the Facebook APIs to tap into your messages while providing their own interface. However, they often lack important features, have buggy performance, or security risks.
Benefits of third-party apps:
- Avoid Messenger entirely
- Custom interfaces
- Enhanced privacy at times
Drawbacks:
- Missing core features
- API reliance can break features
- Privacy concerns with data access
- Bugs, glitches, and crashes
Using Facebook Message Shortcuts
When viewing someone’s profile or page on Facebook desktop, you can access quick messaging shortcuts to start a new message thread:
- Click the three dots “More” menu next to their name
- Select “Message” to open a popup message window
- Type and send your message without opening Messenger
However, this only allows you to send new messages, not view existing threads. It’s handy for quick interactions, but limited compared to Messenger.
Pros of message shortcuts:
- Quickly message someone from their profile
- Don’t need to open Messenger
- See when they’ve read your message
Cons:
- Can’t access existing message threads
- Very limited messaging functionality
- Desktop only, not available on mobile
Emailing Facebook Messages
If you enable it in Settings, Facebook can forward your new messages to your email inbox. You can then reply directly via email to send Facebook messages without using Messenger.
On desktop, go to Settings > Notifications > Email and enable “Get Facebook messages via email”. On mobile, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Email > Add Account.
However, this only works for new messages – you won’t see existing threads in your email. Replying from email also has limited formatting options.
Benefits of email forwarding:
- Get notifications via email
- Reply to messages from email
- Syncs across devices
Limitations:
- No access to previous threads
- Limited formatting in email replies
- Can miss follow-up messages in threads
Conclusion
While Facebook is designed to funnel messaging through Messenger by default, there are ways to access and send Facebook messages without using the standalone Messenger app. Options include checking messages directly on the Facebook app or desktop site, disabling Messenger integration, using the mobile site or Lite app, third-party apps, message shortcuts, and email integration.
However, most of these options sacrifice significant features, convenience, and the full messaging experience compared to Messenger. There are benefits in some cases like data usage or privacy, but most people will prefer Messenger for the richest and most integrated messaging tools.
The best way to avoid Messenger while maintaining a full-featured messaging experience is to check messages directly in the Facebook app or mobile site. But disabling the Messenger integration or using third-party apps also allows Facebook messaging without Messenger, albeit with varying limitations.
In the end, Messenger provides the most robust platform for Facebook messaging, with deep integration across Facebook’s apps and services. But users who prefer keeping their messaging consolidated within Facebook have several workable options to access messages without needing Messenger.