Facebook Messenger is the official messenger app for Facebook that lets you chat with your Facebook friends and message them from your Android phone. It’s a standalone app that supports both messaging and live chat. No more depending on third-party apps or the main Facebook app for messaging.

Here’s a list of the features of the app:

  • Send messages instantly to other friends who have Messenger
  • Chat with friends who are on Facebook
  • Get free push notifications for incoming messages
  • Add location and photos to messages
  • Reach friends via text message if they don’t have Messenger yet
  • Access sent and received messages on both Messenger and Facebook
  • Create group conversations for making plans on the go
  • Add more friends to group conversations at any time
  • Control alert and location settings for each conversation

Starting up Messenger for the first time presents you with the login screen, which also has the option to sign up for a new account with Facebook. After logging in, it starts up on a screen with all your messages, and from here you can decide who you want to chat with and strike up a conversation. Group conversations are possible as well, with the option to add more people and change the title of the conversations at any time. You can also attach images and your location to your messages. Location sharing is enabled by default, but can be disabled from the settings.

You can see each contact’s location on the map, provided they have location sharing turned on in their settings. It is also possible to turn off notification alerts for everyone, or even individual contacts and chats, either permanently or for a custom time such as the next hour or at night up till 8 AM in the morning. Other options include setting custom notification ringtones, and enabling or disabling sound, lights and vibration for notifications.

If Facebook is something you regularly use to get in touch with your friends and family, Facebook Messenger is the right app for you, with its simple and easy to use interface. Get it for free from the Android Market by clicking the download button below. Leave your thoughts on the app in the comments.

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