In 2022, there has been speculation that Facebook may be considering merging its Messenger app back with its core Facebook app after over 9 years of being separate apps. This potential move raises some key questions for Messenger users and the broader social media landscape.
When did Messenger become a separate app from Facebook?
Messenger was originally integrated into the core Facebook app, allowing users to message each other seamlessly within the same app. However, in 2014, Facebook made the decision to spin off messaging capabilities into a standalone Messenger app.
The rationale at the time was that separating Messenger into its own app would allow Facebook to rapidly innovate and optimize the messaging experience without being constrained by the core Facebook app. This enabled Messenger to evolve features like photos, videos, stickers and games over the years.
So for the last 9 years, Messenger has existed as a fully independent messaging app, alongside the core Facebook app which focused more on the newsfeed and social networking features.
Why is Facebook considering merging the apps again?
There are a few key reasons why Facebook may be reconsidering merging Messenger back into the main Facebook app:
- Streamlining the user experience – Having messaging fragmented across separate apps creates some friction for users who want to seamlessly message contacts. Integrating into one app would enable seamless messaging capabilities alongside social networking.
- Revenue opportunities – Bringing Messenger back into Facebook may allow new advertising and commerce opportunities by connecting messaging data back to users’ core social graphs and profiles.
- Reversing stalled growth – Messenger’s growth has stagnated recently, so integrating it back into the Facebook app could reignite growth.
Essentially, merging the two apps back together has the potential to improve the user experience, open up new monetization opportunities, and drive greater engagement across messaging and social networking in one place.
What are the potential pros of merging Messenger back into Facebook?
There are some potential benefits or pros associated with Facebook’s rumored re-merger of Messenger:
More seamless messaging
Having messaging access directly inside the Facebook app would enable users to seamlessly message friends, family and connections within the social network without switching between apps.
Less friction for users
With messaging and social networking combined under one roof, users would no longer need to download two separate apps for these capabilities. The unified experience could reduce friction.
Cross-platform synergies
Facebook could leverage Messenger data to improve ad targeting, recommendations and engagement across Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus as well given their shared underlying infrastructure.
New monetization paths
Integrating Messenger could allow Facebook to add new commerce and advertising opportunities within messaging based on users’ social data and connections.
Added utility for Facebook app
Messenger capabilities like messaging, games, payments and bots could make the Facebook app more engaging, dynamic and useful for daily interactions.
What are the potential cons of merging Messenger back into Facebook?
However, there are also some drawbacks or cons that Facebook will need to be aware of:
Feature bloat
Adding Messenger could make the Facebook app feel overly bloated with too many features crammed into one place.
User data control concerns
Linking messaging data back to core Facebook profiles could raise additional privacy concerns and controversy around user data controls.
Development challenges
Engineers would face challenges integrating Messenger’s codebase and features into the Facebook app after years of separate development.
Messaging innovations could slow
Messaging capabilities may no longer advance as quickly if constrained under the umbrella of the broader Facebook app again.
Shift in strategic focus
Focus could shift away from making Messenger as great of a standalone messaging app compared to competitors like WhatsApp.
How would a merger impact Messenger users?
For Messenger’s billions of users worldwide, a merger back into Facebook would have notable impacts:
Messenger sign-up and login
Messenger would likely inherit Facebook’s login system. Users might no longer be able to use Messenger with just a phone number and could need a Facebook account.
User experience changes
The look, feel and navigation of Messenger would be adapted to fit inside the Facebook app interface. This could require an adjustment period.
Feature differences
Some Messenger features might get lost in the transition, while users could gain access to new Facebook social features.
Centralized data
Merging data means users’ Messenger history and usage could become tied to their core Facebook profile and used for ads and recommendations.
Ultimately, the user experience would feel quite different from standalone Messenger, requiring users to adapt if a full merger happens.
Would merging Messenger and Facebook make sense strategically?
Looking at the strategic implications, there are a few key factors to consider:
Impact on growth
Messenger growth has stagnated recently, so merging could potentially reignite engagement and daily active users. But it risks alienating existing Messenger-only users.
User trust
Linking Messenger and Facebook data may exacerbate existing user trust issues around privacy and data usage policies. But segmenting apps also confuses users.
Competitive landscape
Standalone messaging apps like WhatsApp continue gaining users. Re-merging Messenger with Facebook could strategic focus away from making Messenger as competitive.
Monetization
A unified app could support new revenue streams via advertising and commerce. But innovation could be slower than standalone Messenger.
Execution challenges
Significant product, engineering, marketing and communications challenges would need to be navigated in separating then re-merging the apps.
On balance, the strategic upside is unclear. A focused standalone Messenger strategy could be a less risky bet long-term for Facebook.
What technical considerations would be involved in re-merging the apps?
At a technical level, recombining Messenger and Facebook after years of separate product development poses some significant challenges:
App architecture
Messenger’s underlying app architecture, codebase, APIs and databases would likely require substantial re-engineering to integrate smoothly into Facebook’s monolithic mobile app.
Feature development
Product teams would need to figure out which Messenger and Facebook features get combined, which get cut entirely, and how new hybrid features should be built.
Cross-platform support
A unified Facebook messaging experience would need full support across iOS, Android, web, Portal and Oculus platforms.
Engineering resources
Combining apps would occupy significant engineering time and headcount that could be allocated to other initiatives like metaverse, AI discovery engine, or video capabilities.
Testing and quality assurance
Extensive QA testing would be critical to avoid major bugs, reliability or performance issues arising from the massive code change.
The level of technical effort required should not be underestimated if Facebook pursues an app merger.
How are users likely to react if Facebook merges Messenger back into the main app?
User reaction to Messenger merging back into Facebook would likely be mixed, with some users embracing it and others opposing it:
Positive reactions
- Higher convenience of having messaging and social features in one app
- Easier for coordinating plans and messaging friends already on Facebook
- Potential for new features and integrations
Negative reactions
- Loss of a standalone Messenger app some prefer using
- Privacy concerns around linking Messenger data back to Facebook profile
- Bugginess, clutter and confusion from the merged apps
- Certain Messenger capabilities not carrying over or being removed
Younger demographics may be more amenable to an integrated experience, while older Messenger users could resist the change more. But overall, strong product execution would be key for winning users over.
What’s the verdict – should Facebook actually merge Messenger back into its main app?
Taking a holistic view, here’s an assessment of the implications:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
On balance, it is debatable whether re-merging Messenger and Facebook apps is the optimal path forward. Maintaining focus on making Messenger a best-in-class messaging platform may be better strategically.
The risks and challenges likely outweigh the potential benefits. Facebook may be better off keeping Messenger as a standalone app – assuming it can find ways to reignite Messenger engagement and growth independent of Facebook.
Conclusion
While recombining Messenger and Facebook may have some user experience and monetization upsides, significant strategic, technical and trust-related challenges could hamper executing this effectively. Facebook’s product leadership should scrutinize if the merger truly passes a cost-benefit analysis across all stakeholders. Maintaining Messenger’s standalone app focus could be in the company’s best interests long-term.