Submitted 19 hours ago by ardi60@reddthat.com to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/news/802627/meta-messenger-app-removal-windows-macos
Meta is also planning to drop its native WhatsApp Windows app in favor of a web wrapper version soon, in what looks like a move to simplify WhatsApp development.
So they are just going back to what they had before, probably to save money.
But don’t they have AI now which makes development so much faster, easier and cheaper? It’s these things where you can see these companies are full of bullshit.
What? It feels like a web wrapper right now, I always thought it was an old backend because the web app had better functionality.
IIRC the WhatsApp app is a native app using XAML while the Messenger app is a React Native app.
Tangentially related but I have to harp on about it because almost nobody is saying it. Microsoft —and specifically xbox — Had it’s most profitable yearS ever and people (journalists) still try to rationalize every time they raise prices and lay off thousands and thousands of workers
The AI stuff might genuinely factor into it, I largely don’t use it myself but from what I understand from some colleagues it’s churning out decent react and co, while other languages can have mixed results.
That’s quite an interesting take. I also noticed that it’s magnitudes better at coding with common frameworks and often sucks with more niche applications.
Desktop site is the only place I access messages. Get fucked Zuck I’m not putting your spyware on my phone. If that method ever goes away, I guess no more messages for me…
I just flat out quit messenger when they made it app-only. I’m not installing that shit in my phone or my computer. Facebook on my phone is just the web app.
Best part is no little red digits telling me I’m missing out on something (spam and shit I don’t care about 95% of the time). I check it when I think to. That’s once every few months which is about how often I’m interested in updates from people who aren’t in my life any more.
I’d like to replace all of my apps with bookmarks eventually. No one needs that kind of data on me.
I just flat out quit messenger when they made it app-only.
but they didn’t.
or you mean on the phone? switch on desktop site mode in firefox and done. but it’s harder to use on phone sized screens
You can still use the website. This is just talking about the native apps.
Have to boost those Facebook page visit numbers!
yup. i have a bunch of users that won’t be happy. they only still have fb for messenger, use the messenger app, and never go to fb itself anymore.
I am one of those people who are forced to use these social media for school.
let me guess … you will now have to ask an ai agent to communicate to your contacts for you
Based on how often it happens, “curse and find whatever f’n tab is now making the noise” is my favourite game.
Fuck this “web as app” shit.
I’m confused. Are you upset the app is being removed? As in you don’t like webapps, you want them as apps?
Considering the unrelenting data snatching capacity of the desktop app, there are only 3 plausible reasons Facebook, a company so maliciously money hungry that it might just prove the absence of god, would choose to deprecate it
1: something is fundamentally wrong with the app and they feel they are liable for greater damages than their profits from the it.
2: they’ve improved their data collection on browsers to the point that both methods are equal
3: they don’t believe they need the additional profits. (This one sincerely terrified me)
Yeah, someone has looked at the spreadsheet and realised that basically no one uses the desktop app I’ll bet
and 5. They know that they’re not going to lose any meaningful number of users by getting rid of these apps that just cost them money needlessly
Facebook web on mobile browser already doesn’t allow messenger, and tells you to get the app. Pulling messenger from the desktop web browser will be the next move, forcing people to app completely.
Glad I don’t use it.
As someone that has worked at (and current works at) big tech companies, you’re missing the most likely reason:
A lot of teams are only 3-6 developers, an engineering manager, a project manager, and a designer. Other roles like content design and QA are often shared across lots of teams.
Honest question: who even uses this bullshit?
WhatsApp and Messenger are the #1 and #3 most popular messaging apps in the world. (#2 is WeChat)
Students, especially in the Philippines and some 3rd world countries. You can basically use Messenger and Facebook without data, just without images or video. For the sake of accessibility schools tend to use these services.
All my friends are on Messenger. It’s garbage app. More garbage is only Viber where I have my relatives. Pure suffering.
Somehow they believe this will increase their user base…
I avoid those desktop apps, anyway. I just keep them in browser tabs. Not that I frequent Facebook.
Ugh, the only thing I hate more than a few people I regularly talk with still using Messenger is having to deal with the desktop client. Now this 🙄
I moved to a web browser but I can’t even get push notifications working.
Ugh, the only thing I hate more than a few people I regularly talk with still using Messenger is having to deal with the desktop client. Now this 🙄
Doesn’t this mean that you should be happy with this then? Since you hate the desktop client?
I can’t even get push notifications working.
Which browser? Safari is notorious for having a lot of bugs around push notifications, but Chrome and Firefox should both work.
ive been using beeper so its a matter if they kill the API in my case. (im surprised they didn’t nuke the API first)
I always mourn the loss of native apps. There are always so many downsides. And they harm platform consistency, etc.
Don’t get me started on Discord not supporting the native spell check. The built in spell check is terrible.
And they harm platform consistency, etc.
Unfortunately, a lot of major apps aren’t consistent any more. Each app uses its own design language and its own UI widgets, rather than using proper native ones. Often they’re no better than web apps. I hate it and would rather just use a web app instead.
Yeah 😔
They’re trying to become the WeChat of the west lolol
adespoton@lemmy.ca 3 minutes ago
Finally! Meta does something for the good of humanity!