Alternatives to Facebook Messenger?

[kishy]

Like many people, Facebook has become a primary way that I share the goings-on in my life with friends and family and as an extension of that it's a primary means of contacting people for me. I don't necessarily like that I put those eggs in Facebook's basket rather than a more "ad hoc" approach like SMS, but it is what it is.

The Facebook Messenger Android app keeps getting new features/functionality added to it that range from "I would never use this" to "this annoys the crap out of me" so I'm looking for an alternative. The "days" feature is the tipping point that finally made me hate it enough to look elsewhere.

Features that I do use/appreciate and would hope to find in a replacement:

• Delivery and read receipts
• Ability to send photos from storage AND from integrated camera functionality
• Facebook calling would be nice to have but I can go without if needed
• Facebook-specific emoji and emoticon support (that is, not using the phone's emoji "character set", but using Facebook's unique ones)

Is anyone using any alternative apps they can recommend? Or have you used a bad one you'd specifically recommend against?

[hking0036]

I like to use telegram personally, they don't have the facebook stuff integrated for obvious reasons but you can use end-to-end encryption for "secret" chats. They ensure that their crypto on "normal" messages is solid too. I don't know how true that is, but in terms of features it's pretty well-rounded. They have the delivered/read and can send photos compressed or uncompressed, and they have stickers which are sort of like emojis if you're looking for that. Can't say how it compares to facebook anything though, I don't use facebook for anything.

[algernon]

I've been a happy Signal user for quite a while. Encrypted, supports audio call (and video in beta - both encrypted, too). Read receipts, attachments (pictures, audio), and can act as an SMS handler too. Also has a desktop app that ~syncs with your phone.

Not much clue about emoji support, as I don't use that.

[kishy]

I should clarify, I'm hoping to find an alternative that still connects to Facebook and essentially replaces the Facebook-branded Messenger app.

Although I'd eventually like to decentralize my social interactions off of FB, I'm not there yet. I just can't stand the app lol.

[algernon]

I should clarify, I'm hoping to find an alternative that still connects to Facebook and essentially replaces the Facebook-branded Messenger app.

I don't think you'll have any luck. Facebook aren't too keen on third party applications, especially when they'd replace their own.

[kishy]

May have answered my own question.
Messenger Lite, from Facebook themselves. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.mlite&hl=en

Seems to be location-locked, since it won't let me install it on my OnePlus Two, but I found an APK and I'm trying it out.

The emojis are missing, but if the core functionality is there I can live with no jumbo-size poop emoji as a like button.

[Krakob]

I use Disa. It has SMS, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Overall it's really convenient and it keeps the spyware out. Development pace is slow though. Honestly I would rather just abandon it and get off Facebook messaging and WhatsApp but I've got a few groups I'd prefer to stay in.

[bmmcwhirt]

https://developer.pidgin.im

or on OSX

https://adium.im/

or on Phone

https://plus.im/

[kishy]

Hmm...Disa looks a little better. It does have the standard emoticon "drawer" which Messenger Lite is somehow lacking (really, stickers but not good old fashioned smiley faces?). It also has a "last seen" indicator which Lite is missing. On the other hand, I'd almost rather not know the person is online sometimes.

The UI on Facebook Messenger Lite is super clean though. Visually, it's exactly the app I was hoping for. It's a little too "Lite" on some features though.

[tp4tissue]

Read this thread as ..  Facebook  massager..  was wondering if anyone advertised massages on facebook.

and/ or if kishy were soliciting prostitutes on facebook..

[vivalarevolución]

What I like to do is not message people.  Then I have no need for a messaging app.

[kishy]

I began using Disa and Messenger Lite at about the same time, and alternated between them. Disa won, Messenger Lite got uninstalled.

For the first time ever, Facebook messaging capability is using less of my battery power than cell network standby...making it the lowest usage listed on my phone. The UI is simple and nonoffensive. The majority of what I want is there, and more importantly, none of the stuff I don't want is there. I like that it's modular, though I'm unlikely to tie SMS into it. I prefer separate apps for separate contact methods.

Pidgin hasn't supported FB for a while, though it used to. Something to do with protocol changes at FB's end.

[bmmcwhirt]

I began using Disa and Messenger Lite at about the same time, and alternated between them. Disa won, Messenger Lite got uninstalled.

For the first time ever, Facebook messaging capability is using less of my battery power than cell network standby...making it the lowest usage listed on my phone. The UI is simple and nonoffensive. The majority of what I want is there, and more importantly, none of the stuff I don't want is there. I like that it's modular, though I'm unlikely to tie SMS into it. I prefer separate apps for separate contact methods.

Pidgin hasn't supported FB for a while, though it used to. Something to do with protocol changes at FB's end.

It's just not integrated.  https://github.com/dequis/purple-facebook/wiki

[tp4tissue]

?

What's wrong with regular text ?

/checks fone
---- all dudes


OK.. gotcha..  I understand now..


Tinder.. Heard good things about Tinder..

[tp4tissue]

Has anyone here actually used tinder ?

Any success stories ?


Haven't tried it,  does it work like the tv says it does ?  where you get to communicate with good looking females non-stop. ?

[kishy]

Pidgin hasn't supported FB for a while, though it used to. Something to do with protocol changes at FB's end.

It's just not integrated.  https://github.com/dequis/purple-facebook/wiki

Interesting, didn't realize that. May poke around with that and see what happens.

What's wrong with regular text ?...

Nothing, but Facebook provides a greater level of integration between your active conversation and your other online interactions with those particular contacts.
The chat content is also more "rich" in a sense.
Activity (online now) indicators and sent/delivered/read receipts can be handy particularly when trying to make plans with a group of people.

Overall I find that with SMS I'm more likely to forget to text someone (even someone I genuinely intended and wanted to speak with) than if that same contact is on Facebook. I'm far from alone in finding FB to be a more engaging platform to maintain communication on.

I don't think FB is the only platform out there that satisfies my goals, but it happens to be the one I use and plain old SMS just doesn't cut it.

[cloudpost]

I use google hangouts. Like facebook, a lot of people have a google account so it was an easy switch for most of my circle with out twisting arms to get everyone onboard. That was the initial reason as to why I chose hangouts. I've really toned down the amount of time I am on FB as I've gotten older and FB apps are just so obtrusive.

It checks all your boxes except for instead of facebook's basket it goes to googles basket. It has google sticker support, and has google's video/voice calling support.

[Altis]

I know of a hidden way to keep using Facebook messenger through the web browser, if you're interested. 

I can't stand the FB apps. I deleted both the Facebook and Messenger apps and use it exclusively through mobile browser now. It actually looks very similar if you do it right, though you don't get notifications.

[kishy]

I use google hangouts. Like facebook, a lot of people have a google account so it was an easy switch for most of my circle with out twisting arms to get everyone onboard. That was the initial reason as to why I chose hangouts. I've really toned down the amount of time I am on FB as I've gotten older and FB apps are just so obtrusive.

It checks all your boxes except for instead of facebook's basket it goes to googles basket. It has google sticker support, and has google's video/voice calling support.

Hangouts is a very good app, I've found, and I appreciate how seamlessly you can transition from the app on your phone to the browser on your computer.

However, the goal here is not to replace Facebook but to replace Facebook's app (and still connect to Facebook).

I know of a hidden way to keep using Facebook messenger through the web browser, if you're interested. 

I can't stand the FB apps. I deleted both the Facebook and Messenger apps and use it exclusively through mobile browser now. It actually looks very similar if you do it right, though you don't get notifications.

I do know that I can force viewing the desktop website on my phone and I can message through that. It's not really ideal though because I do want notifications in real time about Facebook conversations (given that it's the way I contact people).

I've been using Disa exclusively for about 10 days now and it's a very solid replacement for the Facebook-developed Messenger app.

Annoying things:

• integration with the FB app itself so if you try to initiate a message from the FB app, it will call Disa (instead, it takes you to Play Store to get Messenger). Probably not much of a way around this
• FB messenger sends links that have been...Facebookified. e.g. go through a Facebook redirect. As long as I'm also signed into FB in the mobile browser, it seems to work fine. It's just annoying because Disa is not able to display what the Facebook link redirects to. OTOH I appreciate that it makes it obvious your clicks are visible to Facebook.
• You can mute all notifications from Facebook messages (in the context of being able to add multiple messaging services to Disa), but you're not able to mute individual conversations, and a mute initiated on the FB website does not affect Disa. That's kind of bothersome.
  
• the giant poop emoji is sorely missed

.

[fanpeople]

Has anyone here actually used tinder ?

Any success stories ?


Haven't tried it,  does it work like the tv says it does ?  where you get to communicate with good looking females non-stop. ?

I'd recommend grindr, you are pretty much guaranteed to pick up.

[kishy]

Odd thing happened.

Facebook must have changed something on their end because Disa stopped working. As I needed some sort of functional client for this service installed, I reinstalled the real Facebook Messenger.

All the "fluff" was missing. The "Days" thing was not there, the centre button at the bottom to use Snapchat-like camera filters was not there, and swiping down refreshed the list as it should instead of opening the camera.

Next day, Play Store downloaded an update for Messenger, and now it has all the garbage in it again that I don't like. So it would appear that when you initially install FB messenger it is absent of these features and soon after, it will update and gain them.

I have re-tested this, uninstalling and reinstalling it, and the same phenomenon happened again (well, it hasn't updated again yet to gain the extra features, but I'm sure it will soon).

Has anyone else observed this? Maybe there's a way to trick it into only using the lower-feature form of each latest version.

Update: I had a friend test and he experienced the same thing. Then we both observed that the Messenger app internally enabled the extra features without any update downloading through Play Store.

So, the app has these components within it and they can be turned on/off based on certain criteria. I wonder if it's as simple as an on/off tag in a configuration file somewhere.

[digi]

Use MySpace Messenger

[robertdane101]

Whatsapp if you have the friends using it