I did the opposite: Kept Messenger and got rid of the Facebook app. That way, when someone wants to talk to me, I don't get sucked into the void of their newsfeed - so it becomes just one more communication app alongside iMessage, Telegram, Whatsapp and Discord for me.
This is exactly why they spun it off. They've known for a while that many people are walking away from FB, so they're adding apps to retain you as a customer, and all the data collection that entails.
Same here. Messenger spinning off kept me on Facebook. I use Messenger all day long; I like the the UI, especially reactions and replies. I now log into Facebook once or twice a month. It just gives me FOMO. No need for that.
I just wish those services exposed a chat protocol that I could connect to from a single messaging app. I'd straight up pay for access to such a thing.
It's interesting that Uber decided to merge their apps (Uber + Uber Eats) while FB seems to want to create more.
Personally I don't care about app count, I'm just not a huge fan of when companies spin features off as products unless it makes total sense. I think it does in this case, it looks like a crossover of Messenger and Instagram that reminds me of Snapchat when it was just a sexting app.
I get the marketing angle . This is directed to the social media addicted and it launches the camera directly , so the app icon is basically a shortcut key.
I m surprised they didnt just launch a phone for it.