Facebook’s standalone messaging app Messenger has crossed 800 million active monthly users, inching closer to the Facebook-owned WhatsApp messenger’s 900 million active monthly users. Messenger was released as a standalone app for web in 2014. The company plans to make money through ads on Messenger but did not provide a timeline for the same. Messenger developments: - Readers would like to note that Facebook had launched a revamped version of its Messenger app, allowing users to sign up even without a Facebook account way back in 2012, a service it re-launched in June 2015 to allow users sign up with only a phone number. - In June, Messenger introduced location sharing on Messenger, where users could send a map of their whereabouts, accessible from the ‘More’ icon. - During its F8 conference in March, Facebook said that it would be opening up Messenger for business, allowing companies to chat with people during the checkout flow, send order updates etc. It also added that it would let developers develop apps for Messenger, starting with 40 new apps including Imgur, ESPN and Talking Tom. - In the same month, it announced that it would allow peer-to-peer money transfers over the Messenger app in the US. In April, it added a dedicated chat interface for the web. - In the same month, the company added a video calling feature in Messenger and at that time was limited to iOS and Android users in the US, UK, Mexico, Oman, Laos, Uruguay and some other…
