Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. Social Media
  5. News

Messenger and Facebook, together again? Facebook tests integrating chats

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

Remember when Messenger was part of the Facebook app instead of a separate download? Facebook may be reverting back to integrated chats within the main app rather than requiring users to move back and forth between the two apps for both features. After reverse-engineered code suggested the possibility, Facebook confirmed a test involving private messages sent within the Facebook app.

Reverse engineered by Jane Manchun Wong — a tipster who has been right on several previous features ahead of the official launch — suggests a redesigned Facebook app with a shortcut to access Messenger. Instead of opening the separate app, the test opens a page within the Facebook app to access all the chats.

Recommended Videos

Wong notes that the feature isn’t as fully fledged as the stand-alone Messenger app, lacking calls, reactions and the ability to send photos. Facebook’s statement on the matter suggests Messenger will remain as a stand-alone app with more features, if the test of integrated Messenger ever comes to life.

The look at the app’s code also shows a redesign with a white background instead of the usual blue header.

The change could be tied to the report suggesting that Facebook is considering merging different messaging platforms into one rather than separate chat options for Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. In a statement to the New York Times, the social network said it is working to “build the best messaging experiences we can; and people want messaging to be fast, simple, reliable and private. We’re working on making more of our messaging products end-to-end encrypted and considering ways to make it easier to reach friends and family across networks.”

While Messenger originally was part of the Facebook app, the network removed the chat capability from the main app in 2014 a few years after creating the dedicated chat app. At the time, the company said using Messenger was faster than sending and receiving chats through the main app.

Facebook didn’t share the reasoning behind putting the test messages back into the original app outside of “improving the experience.” Besides confirming a test and Messenger’s prominence as a stand-alone app, the company didn’t share any additional details.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary K. Grigonis
Former Contributor
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Topics
The memory crisis isn’t going to ease, and you will pay the price for it, says a research firm
Forty to 50% higher this quarter, 30 to 40% more next quarter, and no real relief until 2028. Plan accordingly.
RAM memory chips

If you were hoping the memory crisis was about to ease up, I have some bad news for you. It comes directly from Wall Street.

Your next smartphone, laptop, or tablet could cost even more, regardless of whether it has recently been subject to a price hike.

Read more
Screens before age two may come with serious developmental risks, study warns
Using a phone or a tablet to keep your baby occupied is not a good idea.
Kid using an iPad

Screens have become the digital pacifier for many babies. Phones and tablets are used during feeding, bedtime, chores, and moments when parents need a break. A major new study now warns that regular screen use before age two may carry developmental risks.

Researchers from four UK universities say babies and toddlers under two should avoid regular intentional screen time. The review links higher screen exposure in the first two years with sleep problems, language delays, behavioural difficulties, obesity risk, short-sightedness, and later problems with friendships and social interactions.

Read more
I tried the AI-powered Extend photo trick in iOS 27, and it blew past my expectations
The Extend feature won't fool everyone, but for casual social media edits, it's surprisingly easy to rely on.
Photography, Wood, Electronics

I wasn’t among the first to install the iOS 27 developer beta, but once I did, I began appreciating the changes Apple has made. The Photos app, in particular, has received one of its most substantial upgrades, adding an improved Clean Up tool, Spatial Reframing, and the new Extend feature, the one I was most eager to try. 

After spending some time with it on my iPhone 17, here’s how the tool has performed so far. Spoiler alert: it’s one of the most substantial additions to Apple’s previously slim lineup of AI features. I’ve tried the feature on several different photos, including a selfie I took in front of a dam in northern India, photos of food items on a table, and shots taken indoors and outdoors.

Read more