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Facebook Messenger for Android gets exclusive SMS threading inside conversations

Facebook Messenger for Android gets exclusive SMS threading inside conversations

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Don't worry, Android fans — Facebook hasn't forgotten about you. The social network is in the process of rolling out Facebook Messenger for Android 2.0 which includes an exclusive new feature: threaded texts and Facebook messages on select phones.* A Facebook spokesperson told The Verge, "any text you receive gets delivered to Messenger in addition to your core SMS client." Your texts won't show up inside the Facebook website or Messenger on other platforms.

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facebook messenger for android 2.0
facebook messenger for android 2.0

Don't worry, Android fans — Facebook hasn't forgotten about you. The social network is in the process of rolling out Facebook Messenger for Android 2.0 which includes an exclusive new feature: threaded texts and Facebook messages on select phones.* A Facebook spokesperson told The Verge, "any text you receive gets delivered to Messenger in addition to your core SMS client." Your texts won't show up inside the social network's website or Messenger on other platforms, and none of your local texts ever get sent back to Facebook, the company confirmed.

A useful feature impossible on iOS

Additionally, the new Messenger app includes a slide-out pane to see who's online, a more conventional conversation view that turns your messages into bubbles, and a "last active" indicator that shows when friends were last available for chat. A new "favorites" area provides quick access to the people you chat with the most. Ultimately, it seems like Facebook wants Messenger to become the hub for all short form communication on your phone.

Many of the aforementioned updates will appear inside Facebook for Android, which is also receiving an update today. Facebook for Android may not be "native" just yet like its iOS counterpart, but the update seems to show that the company is dedicated to continuing on its rapid pace of iteration for apps on Android as well. With that said, the company noted that a Messenger update for iOS will launch soon, except it of course can't include text message threading since iOS won't allow it.

*Select phones include the HTC EVO 3D, HTC One X, HTC Wildfire S, LG Optimus Black, LG Optimus Hub, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy SIII, and the Samsung Galaxy Y. The company added, "We will roll the feature out to additional Android phones in the coming weeks."