Facebook Messenger now has 800 million monthly active users

Facebook has revealed that its Messenger service currently has 800 million users a month worldwide. The news was posted by Facebook's VP of Messaging Products David Marcus, who went over the new features that Messenger added in 2015 and hinted at what might be coming in 2016.

One trend that Marcus hinted will be more important in the next year will be how Messenger will become a place to purchase products and services:

At Messenger we're thinking about how we can help you interact with businesses or services to buy items (and then buy more again), order rides, purchase airline tickets, and talk to customer service in truly frictionless and delightful ways. It is so much easier to do everything in one place that has the context of your last interactions, as well as your identity – no need to ever login – rather than downloading apps that you'll never use again and jumping around from one app to another.

Marcus also offered an update on "M", the code name for the digital assistant that is being developed for Messenger:

It's still very, very early days, but the growing AI capabilities are bringing unparalleled convenience to simple, every day tasks like booking a restaurant, sending flowers, and making plans. There will be more innovative developments to come from Messenger this year.

Source: Facebook

John Callaham
118 Comments
  • I thought it has finally received massive update.. :-\
  • Same here... One of the worst apps in the WP store.
  • Aaagreed.! It needs to be updated atleast start showing some love for the win10
  • They don't need to show love yet cuz only insiders have windows 10. Majority are 8.1
  • I wouldn't call it the worst (there are far worse apps in there) and I use quite often. I feel a bit sad not having it as a proper universal app yet. On my PC with keyboard, not a problem. On my tablet running Windows 10 that should be an app for that.
  • I really don't understand the complaints about messenger. It works quite well... doesn't seem to cause much battery drain... fairly fast. What is it that people hate about it? Best of all, no damn chatheads!
  • Dude...these people would complain about a cure for cancer. It's all they know.
  • I don't get it either. Besides, messages are hosted server side, so the mere fact I don't need to perform any kind of backup/restore, the fact I may change replace my phone and see the same messages, gives the trophy of bad app to Whatsapp instead... FB Messenger is actually pretty good.
  • They don't complain the app as a whole and its purpose, they complain about the WP version of Messenger..
    And sadly nobody can neglect the fact that it is still lacking features from the android/ios messenger.
    And I am not talking about some stickers/floating bubble or some crap. All they have to do is make the calling feature available.
  • Ah, ok, then I'd agree with you, there is a lack of features, but not that the app is bad "per se". After all comparing to Whatsapp there is the same lack of features AND the backup/restore issue I mentioned before. So if we compare both directly (both on WP) Whatsapp is worse.
  • There is a web version. Try messenger.com on your tablet.
  • It's massively better than Skype for example.
  • Well it can hardly be worse to be fair :P 
  • It's not. Let's not **** on Skype at every given chance, Messenger on Windows is horrible and it deserves all kind of criticism.
  • Yes Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Except Skype has audio and video call and Messenger has none. Unless you use the android or ios versions, which have had voice calling for years
  • One of the many, I would say
  • Thumps up...
  • I did too ...Still waiting on our update
  • If you guys aren't using telegram yet you're crazy. Just got a nice update with gif support too.
  • Isn't talking to oneself, "crazy"? That's the only person I'd know using Telegram.
  • You have a point. In my opinion Telegram is way way better than viber and whatsapp, but sadly nobody uses it. :(
  • Yes, so sad! I really want to drag some people to make them use it..
  • I tought it was an update .Dreams and hopes this is what you get with a windows phone . :D
  • How do these numbers compare with skype?
  • Can we have chat heads :D or chat tiles maybe :'D
  • yeah .. chat head.. who wouldnt want annoying overlays everywhere.
  • I dont need chat heads. What i want is powerful, lightweight, fast, polished, fullfeatured app. I want that feature to reply from notifications.
  • And no more "waiting for network" every time i minimize this app and open it again
  • Yeah, I ******* hate that!
  • Chat heads are super annoying.
  • and still no landscape mode for conversations >:(
  • ^^ This. I'm surprised almost no one complains about this. I absolutely HATE typing in portrait mode! Not xto mention the white theme which drains battery and burns my eyes out every time I want to respond to some messages when laying in bed before sleep with the lights out.
    What a horrible horrible app. Sadly, we can't use any third party apps now and instead are forced to use this GARBAGE. F you, Facebook.
  • I want the dark theme too.
  • Start using auto for brightness instead of 100% :P
  • Of course I'm using auto brightens man. Lol it still shines like headlights of a Rangerover.
  • I totally agree with you.
  • Put it on 0% brightness then
  • What's the point in having so many users when wp users are not having any good features compared to android guess fb is not interested in developing the apps for wp users at all
  • Need an update for this desperately. Facebook app is great now, so should be able to do the same for the messenger
  • What does the messenger do on other platforms apart from sharing a location 
  • On Android (and I assume iOS) it does things other people in the comments have asked for: chat heads, landscape mode...
  • chatheads? really? on Windows phone? A big chathead that covers your live tile? You cannot be serious.
  • You realize you can get rid of it any time you want by dragging it to the bottom to the screen to the giant X right?
  • Yes I realize that. But whats the point then? Whats the point of the chathead anyway? So you can easily get back to chat window with a person youre chatting with? Windows gives you: LIVE TILE - info about who is sending the message and content and (soon to be added) reply directly from notification. So what would be the point of chathead? None. Its an android feature. Wouldnt fit Windows Mobile model at all.
  • Is fast, reliable, has far more features my friends are using and surprised when i tell them "i dont have it"... Wp version is slow and basic one just to send receive messages
  • they have voice and video call on messenger which lacks on windows phone version
  • we have voice messages..
  • we have voice message not voice call....two different things...
  • It looks like you use a Doro mobile when you use Messenger on W10M. Just fix that, please!
  • You can add apps to it to share GIFs and all sorts of other things, you can change the color of chats, add nicknames for people, change the thumbs up to other emojis... I'm probably missing a few because my galaxy spends most of its time collecting dust. None of them are really "essential" features for a messenger, sure you can still get by with sending and recieving texts. But that's no way to justify an app's lack up updates. The fact is, it's seriously gimped compared to other versions and sorely due an update. Hell, we don't even have VOIP on messenger yet
  • On other platform you can set nicknames for people, change the color of the conversation, block messages for specific people and some more...
  • I missed the voice call option.
  • m.facebook.com is better than both facebook app and messenger app
  • Somebody give this guy a cookie ;)
  • until someone try to talk to you and you don't answer because you don't have any notification
     
  • Or their messages get sent to you several hours later and vice-a-versa. It's been happening more frequently for me recently.
  • FU FB.
  • This number of active users means nothing, it's not like Facebook users had a choice since you're forced to use their messenger app when using Facebook on mobile.
  • Exactly. What a garbage ...
  • Yup and I hate that. Not to mention the amount of permissions it requests when it installs on your phone... I uninstalled it on my Android and Windows phone. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Active users are users who use it, so it means something.
  • Yes, true!
  • I thought it was an app update...
  • Why not integrate Cortana?
  • Did WindowsCentral update their app or is this a joke?!
  • New app in the works, check the forums.
  • I hate messenger's connecting and syncing. When will they update this ****** app??
  • And yeah , I remember Microsoft said its going to release their universal apps for fb messenger and universal instagram app in December 2015 ..... , bunch of liars !
  • Fb messenger is atleast working fine..Windows apps are lacking important updates UC browser has crossed limits crashing every time.
  • It's not working fine, it's horrible. The app is currently marred by sync issues.
  • Ya sync issue is there but once connected then get going
  • But uc browser crashes mostly .2 or more tab problem..while reading important things on web..its most annoying thing no update its almost a year.
  • @Pawan Ram1, I've got other issues such as delays, lack notifications, yesterday it ignored all the settings for notifications - default sound as opposed to custom, turned toasts off (experiment) and yet got toasts.... So yeah not good at all lol.
  • It needs a lot of details to reprogram for every day satisfaction
  • Yet users are still stuck with a UI seemingly designed for someone who's going blind.
  • When to expect the new messenger app? Windows 10 mobile started rolling out to non insiders in some countries!
  • Yep.... Thought it was a Facebook messenger Windows 10 UWP update....
  • Still missing audio and video call
  • Egal!
  • So this is how they want to monetise messenger, more adverts...
  • Gee, I'm surprised there's so much hate for Messenger. I use it daily and it's good enough for my needs. Sure, it's lacking features compared to the iOS and Android versions, but it still has way more features than compared to when it was built into the People Hub. And the performance is miles ahead of when we had to use Microsoft's Facebook app. Not to mention Messenger is one of the few apps on WP that has notifications that work almost every time, since the devs leveraged the superior WNS instead of using MPNS or a background task...
  • Gee, I'm surprised there's so much hate for Messenger. I use it daily and it's good enough for my needs. Sure, it's lacking features compared to the iOS and Android versions, but it still has way more features than compared to when it was built into the People Hub. And the performance is miles ahead of when we had to use Microsoft's Facebook app. Not to mention Messenger is one of the few apps on WP that has notifications that work almost every time, since the devs leveraged the superior WNS instead of using MPNS or a background task...
  • Hmm, interesting. I have to use messenger to keep in touch with people who use nothing but facebook. Notifications are sporadic, delayed messages, sync issues, messages not sent getting deleted are just few of the problems I'm experiencing.
  • Oh wow, out of curiosity what phone are you using? For the record, I've been using it on a Lumia 640 with WP8.1.
  • @WhiteNiteLite. Lumia 920, WP 8.1. It's just horrible, I have to screenshot messages when delays happen, send and explain constantly it's tiresome.
  • this app kills my battery really . it consume all the juice in it . i m using a lumia 1520
  • Well it ain't me, Facebook are such nosey people. Leaving many personal details open to the world
  • They only put out, what you put in AND allow them too.
  • Messenger in android is far more better than the one in our windows phone
  • Stupid app!
    No updates..its buggy n too slow!
  • Never use it
  • You mean on windows phone facebook miser-mess-enger -_-
  • Still no way to sign up without a Facebook account. Not interested.
  • Well saw the FB messenger part and got really excited.. then let down... Hopefully by the time "M" is ready on iOS and android, we'll be able to see GIFs..  in desperate need of an update.  Really annoying when people send me a GIF and i see a static image.  Or the ability to fast search through stickers.  Also it's very slow.   Some features i can live without like the voice and video calling, sending money, etc.  Just i want to be able to see what people send me...
  • DUDE, AT LEAST STOP WITH YOUR STUPID POSTS, MESSENGER ON WP IS JUNK
  • Absolutely!
  • I refuse to use that app. It's terrible & unnecessary. I miss Facebook chat integrated back in windows 8.0.
  • +830!!
  • That's all well and good but when is fb messenger for wp getting updated so it's inline with its iOS and Android counter parts?!
  • Never
  • Please include sign out option also
  • noo updates :'(
    it made me feel sick seeing android nd ios messenger
    why still we stuck here
    no video calls . no voice calls , no changing discussion color etc......
    lets cry wp people
  • Forget messenger, even the ******* Skype is better in Android and iOS than wp..
  • Again bullshit
    Give aomething new ...lyk animated lock or homescreen...
  • I think microsoft should RIP......
  • Still no calling option
  • Only reason it has this many users is because they've made it so there is no other option. How about that Deep Integration that was promised?
  • No logout option means all messenger users are active in their terms of usage..So fake and force full information gathering from users eg.. phone numbers and personal pics they type and send...Now they started another drama called FreeBasics in india.
  • Fake? If the users weren't real, they'd uninstall.
  • Ứng dụng Messenger trên Windows Phone dùng chán kinh khủng ( Very bad ) . Sử dụng trên Lumia 640 thấy hình ảnh hiển thị rất vỡ nét . Ảnh đại diện ( Avatar ) nhìn vừa mờ ( Blur ) vừa xấu ( Ugly ) . Đồng bộ tin nhắn cực chậm ( Sync messenger very slow ) . Lại còn không hỗ trợ đầy đủ tính năng . Phản hồi rất nhiều lần cho Facebook Inc nhưng cũng chả giải quyết được vấn đề gì . Rất bực mình -_-
  • 800 Million people have too much time on their hands.
  • Dead platform, no hope for wp sadly.. Next upgrade android.
  • Yeah.. Surely, my next device won't be a windows device.. Maybe iOS or Android, or even BB10!
  • Thats more than the number of windows 10 pcs lol.
  • I hate fb, messenger, bbm, instagram, Skype and basically majority of apps on windows store..they lack so many ******* features! I mean wtf! At least give a good experience for Microsoft apps..but no, they're focused on "windows as service" and providing other OSes best services, ignoring windows! I hate everything..i hate myself for choosing WP8.1, and guys don't reply saying "why don't you go to other platform?" Coz my answer is I don't have enough money to waste on phones so frequently..
    Moreover, I'd have bought a BB10 phone, but ended up buying 730. No, less apps aren't my issue, but the lack of features in the apps, the inconsistency of the UI (the system tray isn't present all the time..enough said) and worst multitasking cause the pain in my ass. Yeah, I was hopefully waiting for windows 10, but they aren't adding much if you don't buy a new devices..duh! #frustrateduser
  • But bad for windows mobile 10
  • Why don't just use messenger.com on tablets and PCs. You'll find almost everything there.