Facebook Messenger 16.0

Facebook is undoubtedly a big part of our lives, and continues to expand with new developments and acquisitions on a regular basis. One of its key services is the Messenger app for mobile users.

Despite launching the IM client in a sea of alternatives (and pretty late at that), Facebook still enjoys a good dose of popularity with its Messenger client for iOS devices. So much so that it has continually maintained it with updates and cool new features.

Standard IMinterface

Facebook Messenger looks like any other messaging app. You’ve got your contacts view, your texting view, stickers, smileys, all the options you need right there in the main screen. It’s easy to pick up and use, and Facebook has tailored its graphics to match iOS 7 perfectly. Good job overall, but it's a little too washed out and lacks separators for areas where you need to distinguish groups of icons / buttons / actions.

Text, video and voice messaging

Here’s where Facebook Messenger really shines. Despite going deep into your social life, the app is incredibly fast and reliable. It has a ton of free sticker packs, various ways to add people, mute conversations and start group chats, numerous file sharing options, video and voice messaging, as well as one killer phone call function that left us in awe.

In the Facebook Messenger app you can add colorful drawings and text to photos straight from your camera roll before you even send them. Furthermore, sending the ever-amusing stickers has become even easier for iOS users since you can press and hold down the one that caught your eye to expand it and view if there are any animations, before you actually decide to send it to your friends. 

In our testing, Facebook Messenger is the least laggy VoIP calling service we’ve ever come across. You voice gets sent across the world in a fraction of a second, and the sound quality is impeccable. Facebook even asks you to rate the quality of the call once you end it. Normally, we’d count it as a minus. But if this rating helps it asses the kinks and iron out the bugs, we’re very happy with their thinking.

The rest of it is history, as they say. If you haven’t tried Facebook’s standalone Messaging app, you don’t know what you’re missing. Highly recommended!

Add to watchlist:

VoIPVideo chatInstant messengerChat

• Skype 5.11
• Wire 1.5
• Viber 5.2.2
• Hangouts 3.1.0
• Kik 8.1.0
• Strings 1.0.7

Portable version:

• Facebook Messenger for Windows Phone
• Facebook Messenger for Android