On a day that BlackBerry Messenger was in the news over its alleged role in the London riots, Facebook introduced an instant messaging app of its own, dubbed Facebook Messenger.
"More and more of us rely on our phones to send and receive messages. But it isn't always easy to know the best way to reach someone on their phone. Should you send an email or text? Which will they check first? Did they even get your last message?" Facebook said in a blog post. "We think messaging should be easier than that."
The standalone app is intended to simplify the process of sending and receiving messages to friends and small groups. "You should be able to write a message, click 'Send' and know that you will reach the person right away," Facebook said.
The app, available today for the iPhone and Android devices, provides one-click access to messages, which are delivered through notifications and texts, "so your friends are more likely to get them right away," Facebook said. Messenger can access all friends, whether they're on Facebook or in phone contacts, just by typing a name.
Facebook said Messenger is extension of Facebook messages, a "modern messaging system," Facebook unveiled in November that also included Facebook.com email addresses.
"All your conversations are in one place, including your texts, chats, emails and messages. Whether you're on your phone or on the web, you can see the full history of all your messages," Facebook said.
To reach more than one person, just add multiple recipients as you might via a text message. There's the option to add your location and photos "so everyone else can see and comment on what you're looking at," Facebook said.
For more, see the slideshow below.