Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has made an official announcement through a post on the help center, stating that the company will be discontinuing SMS support for Facebook Messenger in September. This news may be disappointing for users utilizing Facebook Messenger as their primary messaging application, instead of alternatives like Google Messages or their device’s native messaging app.
The SMS feature was initially introduced on Messenger solely for Android users. For those who may not be aware, the social media giant allowed Android users to designate Facebook Messenger as their default SMS application, to compete with the likes of Google Messages and Samsung Messages.
Presently, the company is in the process of informing it’s Android user base about this upcoming update. Information regarding this change can be accessed on the Facebook help center page, where it is mentioned that after updating the app post-September 28, 2023, users “will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent by your cellular network”.
Conversely, Meta has also recommended it’s users to transition to an alternative messaging app before September 28th if they currently use Facebook Messenger as their default messaging application. Switching to a different default messaging app from within the Messenger app is straightforward. Users must open the device’s settings app, navigate to the default apps section, select SMS/messages, and then choose their desired messaging app as the new default.
If users fail to switch to an alternative messaging app before September 28, 2023, their default messaging app will automatically switch to the device’s default messaging app after that date. Importantly, all messages will be retained, eliminating the need for users to back up their messages in this scenario.
Going back to 2012, the company introduced a feature for the Messenger app that enabled users to send text messages without requiring internet connectivity, sending them directly to recipient phone numbers. However, in 2013, Facebook discontinued SMS support within the Messenger app. After a three-year hiatus, in 2016, the company reintroduced this feature to the Facebook messenger app. Now, Meta has announced it’s decision to discontinue this feature once again.
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