If you are getting a huge feeling of similar experience, then you are not alone: The Facebook Messenger app was previewed at the end of last year, but while the previous version was made available after a tech press leak, but today’s version is the official release of the product.
“Millions of people log into Facebook every day to keep up with friends. They also browse other websites and run computer programs, so it is easy to miss important stuff,” reads a post on Facebook’s blog. “Maybe a cousin just posted about getting a new job, or a best friend wants to chat about dinner plans for tonight. You should be able to stay in touch anytime, no matter what you are doing.”
According to technology site VentureBeat, “The app was mainly built by our engineering team based in Seattle,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. The Seattle office was opened just shy of two years ago; at the time, Facebooker Ari Steinberg wrote that the site was selected for its “strong history of innovation and is home to thousands of talented technical people who we want to help us solve the challenges of designing and building the next generation of Facebook.” Clearly, desktop apps were relatively high on the to-do list for this team.
However, if you the Download button does not appear as yet, do not worry–the app will roll out to all users over the next few weeks. In fact, it appears as though not much has changed since December. There are still Chrome-esque conversation tabs, navigation buttons taken straight from the mobile site, pop-up notifications, and News Ticker support. The screenshots Facebook used in today’s announcement are even the same ones you would find on the Facebook Messenger Help Page, which has existed since the app originally leaked.
According to Facebook, the previous version of Messenger was “a test,” and is now distributing out to everyone. Also, a Mac version enroute, but the company declined to disclose a timeframe for that one.
However, the social media giant Facebook is asking users to submit their comments and feedback about Facebook for Messenger at “Your Feedback: Messenger for Windows.” Facebook for Messenger will help the social networking giant increase the engagement of a primary user and attract their friends to spend more time on Facebook. The app will also cause users to visit the Facebook website more often for the purpose of checking on notifications or messages, instead of just randomly sending the browser to Facebook.com as a time killer, as many people do.