Facebook’s standalone messenger app Messenger has crossed 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs), 6 months after it claimed to have crossed 900 million MAUs, and almost 5 years since initial launch in August 2011. Messenger now joins the 1 billion club, which earlier included Facebook owned messaging service WhatsApp, and Google owned YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps. The only messenger service that is closely trailing the 1 billion mark is Chinese chat app WeChat that crossed 700 MAUs in April. In December 2012, Facebook had revamped its Messenger platform and allowed users to sign-up for the service, even if they don’t have a Facebook account. This was at a time when the social networking giant itself had just crossed the 1 billion MAUs mark and was in talks with WhatsApp, to acquire it, while WhatsApp eventually refuted it. By that time, it was pretty clear that Facebook wanted a piece of the mobile-based chat platform revolution. Interestingly, the service was rolled out on Messenger for Android, first in India, Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela and South Africa in 2012, with other countries following after that. However note that Facebook did not entirely build the app by itself: In March 2011, before Messenger came into being, Facebook acquired a ‘task-sharing’ app Beluga and on boarded its technology and the core team as well. Beluga allowed users to make to-do lists, notes, messages, and simply share it with a group of friends. By October 2011, Beluga shut down and lived on inside Facebook Messenger ever since. Messenger developments:…
