How to Use Messenger Without Facebook
Does Messenger work without Facebook? Yes, in a way: even if you’ve vowed to never use Facebook again or want to stop using social media altogether, you can still use Facebook Messenger.
The two are undoubtedly connected. However, if you adhere to these straightforward instructions, you can use Facebook Messenger even if your Facebook account is dormant.
Why Use Facebook Messenger?
Can Messenger be used without Facebook? Yes, in a way. But ought you to?
A popular messaging service in the world is Facebook Messenger. WhatsApp, another service run and owned by Facebook, is its main rival. The likelihood that your friends also use Messenger is a key factor in choosing to use it.
Messenger, though, is about more than just communicating with friends. It’s a potent, multifunctional app.
Want to make an Uber order? Employ Messenger. Calling through voice or video is necessary. Employ Messenger. Do you want to compete with your friends in a game? Employ Messenger. Without even mentioning all the many methods you may send your buddies GIFs, stickers, photographs, and images. All of these things can be available elsewhere, but their benefits when combined make using Messenger more likely.
Additionally, Messenger is cross-platform, just like WhatsApp. Even if you have an iPhone, you can stay in touch with friends on Android.
End-to-end encryption can also be used to send your communications, but it’s not enabled by default, so you’ll need to know how to do so. Therefore, nothing you send can be intercepted by outside parties. Your communication is not visible to anyone as it travels between devices. It’s the very minimum you should demand these days from an instant messaging provider.
Why Might You Avoid Using Facebook?
Facebook is still a dominant social media platform, but usage is declining. Why? Some people are using alternative forms of contact. To stay in touch, younger generations are using TikTok and Snapchat. Some people would rather use SMS or just speak to people in person.
Some people have moral objections to using Facebook. Others dislike the commonplaces of social media platforms, such as political discussions, pyramid schemes, and pointless status updates.
Others are still troubled by Facebook’s ongoing privacy and security scandals. If you use the service, or indeed any messenger app that knows too much about you, you need to pay close attention to your privacy settings.
However, even if you don’t use Facebook, the company is still keeping tabs on you thanks to shadow profiles, which show users’ offline activity. Compared to the personal data Facebook users surrender, signing up for Messenger won’t make much of a difference.
How to Download Messenger Without an Active Facebook Account
Things were easier in the past. It was simple to sign up for Facebook Messenger without having Facebook itself: all you needed was your phone number. But Facebook gradually stopped doing this in 2019, so you now need a Facebook account. But don’t worry—you can overcome this.
The repercussions are essentially the same as they were before, but there is a new hoops to jump through.
You must first learn how to install Messenger, which is easy to do. Simply navigate to the Google Play or App Store, depending on your smartphone or tablet. Ensure it is the legitimate app, produced by Facebook Inc., to avoid risking virus installation.
The next thing you must learn is how to register for Messenger.
The app will prompt you to sign into a Facebook account with your email address or phone number when you launch it for the first time. Click Create New Account instead. You will be directed to create a Facebook account as a result.
You must enter your first name and last name; if you don’t want Facebook to know your true identity, you can use a pseudonym, but keep in mind that this is the name that will display on Messenger. Next, select Next. You must enter a password on the next screen. There are many ways to create a memorable password, so use something special and challenging to decipher. Click Sign Up now. You must send an email or SMS to confirm your new account.
You have a Facebook account now, so that’s good. Although it’s not ideal, you can at least change that. Then what?
Things were easier in the past. It was simple to sign up for Facebook Messenger without having Facebook itself: all you needed was your phone number. But Facebook gradually stopped doing this in 2019, so you now need a Facebook account. But don’t worry—you can overcome this.
The repercussions are essentially the same as they were before, but there is a new hoops to jump through.
You must first learn how to install Messenger, which is easy to do. Simply navigate to the Google Play or App Store, depending on your smartphone or tablet. Ensure it is the legitimate app, produced by Facebook Inc., to avoid risking virus installation.
The next thing you must learn is how to register for Messenger.
The app will prompt you to sign into a Facebook account with your email address or phone number when you launch it for the first time. Click Create New Account instead. You will be directed to create a Facebook account as a result.
You must enter your first name and last name; if you don’t want Facebook to know your true identity, you can use a pseudonym, but keep in mind that this is the name that will display on Messenger. Next, select Next. You must enter a password on the next screen. There are many ways to create a memorable password, so use something special and challenging to decipher. Click Sign Up now. You must send an email or SMS to confirm your new account.
You have a Facebook account now, so that’s good. Although it’s not ideal, you can at least change that. Then what?
How to Set Up Messenger Without an Active Facebook Account
There are a few settings to complete after activating your account in order to fully utilize the app.
To make yourself more recognizable to other users, you could upload a photo of yourself. However, doing that within Messenger is not possible. You must change that setting within your account because it is set to default to your Facebook profile picture.
How does Messenger add friends? You can do this via your Facebook account if you want to, but you’ll probably need to explain to them that this is temporary, because you’re only doing it to interact with them on Messenger. You can click on your profile picture in the top-left corner of your interface to connect only through Messenger on your smartphone. then select Upload contacts under Phone contacts. By doing so, the app and phone book will sync.