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Facebook has launched a standalone version of its Messenger app for web browsers.
The Messenger.com site separates the chatting portion of the service from the main Facebook site, as the company did on the mobile side of things last year.
However, there’s no controversy here as messages are still available through the Facebook.com site and used are not being forced to leave in order to chat with friends.
The idea, Facebook says (via Recode), is to allow users to engage in conversations without all of the distractions provided by the News Feed.
It’s a boost for those who use Facebook regularly for messaging, but don’t wish to view status updates, photo uploads and linked articles from those posting to their own feeds.
Users will still be able to use all of the features, such as photo sharing, audio messages, emoji as well as voice calls, video chats and group messages.
The new platform offers a neat tabbed interface, allowing users to quickly access their chats list on the left side, with the conversion opening up to the right.
Another reason for the launch is likely to be Facebook’s newly-announced SDK for Messenger, which allows third-party developers to build their own features for use with the platform.
Users will be able to send payments, get customer support from businesses and also integrate third-party apps in order to send animate gifs and voiced messages (among other things) to their friends.
Read more: Facebook Messenger now lets users send money
The Messenger.com site is rolling out for from today for English-speaking users.
