Reminder: Facebook wants to be your Messenger for everything.
That, in part, is why if you care at all about messaging on Facebook, you may have to download a new app for your phone.
The company plans to remove the messaging feature from its main Facebook app in the near future. “To continue sending messages on mobile, people will need to install the Messenger app,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
The rationale here, according to Facebook, is that it will make using Facebook Messenger better than if it’s crammed inside of the main already-crowded Facebook app. “We’ve found that people get replies 20 percent faster on Messenger than on Facebook,” the spokesperson said. It also lets the company work on one dedicated messaging product, rather than split time between two apps.
However! It also means Facebook gets another spot on your phone, and another chance to bring messaging to the forefront. That is to say, perhaps you’re likely to use Messenger more often if it’s an app on your mobile phone’s home screen, rather than if it’s buried inside of another app.
And more messaging use is a net positive for Facebook, one of many companies striving for market share in the fight to dominate global messaging services. Hopefully for Facebook, downloading another separate app won’t tick you off.
Expect the change on iOS and Android in the coming weeks, beginning with a handful of countries in Europe.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
