Facebook is further pushing its Messenger platform and in line with that, the company has made a few announcement related to Messenger at its F8 developer conference. The company has announced that it would bring Messenger desktop app to Mac and Windows later this year.
The desktop version of Messenger will come with support for audio calls, group video calls, and other features that are familiar from the mobile version. The app is likely to be based on Messenger.com, which is a web-based version of Facebook Messenger.
The company is has now reportedly started testing Messenger Desktop. The exact launch timeline is not yet known but the company said that it will be rolled out around the world later in 2019.
Facebook believes that it will remove the need to juggle and resize browser tabs by giving you an always-accessible version of Messenger that can replace some of the unofficial knock-offs. The platform is now focusing more on businesses and giving a dedicated desktop interface could convince businesses to invest more in lead generation and customer service through Messenger.
During the conference, the company revealed that it has over 40 million active businesses and 300,000 businesses on Messenger, which is up from 200,000 businesses a year ago. With addition of new business related tools, merchants will now be able to let users book appointments at salons and masseuses. It can also collect information with new lead generation chatbot templates and can provide customer service to verified customers through authenticated m.me links.
Further, under project Lightspeed, Messenger is re-engineering the app to cut 70 MB off its download size so even people with low-storage phones can easily install it. The Lightspeed update is expected to roll out later this year.
