Even though users were initially irritated by Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s separation of messaging from its basic app, they’re apparently not too worried about it after all. The app tops the charts for most downloaded in both Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Play Store and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s list of top free apps in the App Store.
The regular Facebook app is in second place on the Google Play Store and remains in the top ten in the App Store. More than 500 million Android users have downloaded the Facebook Messenger app—a milestone that only Google’s own apps, according to The Guardian.
Facebook users last out
Over the last couple of weeks, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) users have protested the widespread permissions the Messenger app requires access to. The social network issued a statement defending that long list of permissions, saying that it is in compliance with the Android legal terms and conditions. In addition, the company suggested that its intentions in asking for permissions to access those apps are entirely innocuous.
Apparently Android users aren’t worried about the Facebook Messenger app, as it has a four-star rating based on nearly 8 million reviews. However, Apple users aren’t too happy with it, as the app has only a one-star rating based on a little over 34,000 reviews.
Complaints about Facebook Messenger
Among the top complaints about the app—other than the privacy concerns, of which there are many complaints, particularly about access to the camera—is a complaint that the app uses up tons of data, meaning that users with capped data plans really shouldn’t even download it. Of course there are also complaints that users don’t understand why they need a second Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) app on their phones just taking up space. They also don’t like being forced to download Facebook Messenger just to be able to see the messages they receive through the social network. At least one reviewer said he was banned five times from Facebook’s app because he won’t download it.
Some reviewers also complained that the app simply didn’t work, with one reviewer saying it seems to work on Android Jelly Bean but not Android Kitkat. Several others said it makes their phone run slower. So what do you think about the new Facebook Messenger app?
