Facebook is now preventing users from signing up for Messenger without a Facebook account.
Facebook started to allow users to sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account back in 2015; however, now the company has confirmed to VentureBeat that it has gotten rid of that feature.
Additionally, Facebook’s Help Center now reads that a Facebook Account is necessary.
“No. You’ll need to create a Facebook account to use Messenger. If you had a Facebook account but deactivated it, learn how to keep using Messenger. If you’d like to switch to a different account or access your account on another device, learn how to create a password for your account.”
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed to VentureBeat that this would only affect new users. Current Messenger users who lack a Facebook account don’t need to do anything.
However, according to VentureBeat, some users have reported that they are encountering an error message that shows that their account is now restricted.
This might be one of the first steps to make chatting interoperable between Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
Source: VentureBeat
