Facebook recently killed the chat feature in the main Facebook app, and asked users to download the Facebook Messenger app instead. Facebook argued that the Messenger app is much better for chatting than the main app, but users aren’t reacting positively to this change.
The Facebook Messenger app climbed to #1 in the Top Free apps charts following this change, but users are absolutely furious about the forced switch, and are expressing their frustration in the App Store’s review section. The app has a rating of just 1 star for the current version, compared to a 4 star rating for previous versions, when users weren’t forced to use this app.
One of the reviews says:
Let’s just list a few of the worst things about this app, alright? There’s enough immediately out of the gate to give this a 1 star review.
1.) This app is forced for all people who use Facebook on their phones, immobilizing us from messaging friends until we have downloaded this app.
2.) I’ve already ran into numerous bugs that makes this app unusable and leaves me unable to use Facebook at all! From not letting me open the app, to not letting me even delete this app, there is no way that I have found yet to fix this problem.
3.) Facebook messenger was doing perfectly fine without the need of it’s own forced app. At least I could sign out of Facebook to avoid people looking at my conversations. From what I’m reading in other reviews, that’s not even possible here. That’s idiotic if true.
I would keep going, but I feel as though Facebook won’t even bother removing this terrible idea for an app and remain on the path of forcing us to download apps to use it. In all honesty, I’m starting to hate using Facebook more and more. I’m honestly starting to think about finding alternative ways to talk to my friends. If Facebook don’t get their game together soon, they’re going to lose more of their already dwindling users.
Facebook’s situation is perhaps similar to Foursquare, whose new checkin app Swarm currently has a rating of just 2 stars.
Facebook’s Messenger app does pack in a lot of functionality, with features like group chat, phone number integration, free voice calls, stickers etc. But do these features make up for this forced change? Let us know in the comments below.
