<p>Facebook today launched a new messenger app for Android phones, using which users, including those without a Facebook account, can send and receive messages to and from anyone with a phone number.</p>.<p>The social networking giant has partnered with all major carriers and device manufacturers for this service.<br /><br />"Users can now sign up for a messenger account with just their name and phone number, so they can send messages to their phone contacts instantly," Facebook said in a statement.<br /><br />This is being launched on Messenger for Android, first in India, Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela and South Africa, with other countries shortly after, it added.<br /><br />"The goal is to make the new messenger experience better by expanding its reach and giving its users the ability to connect with all of their phone contacts," it said.<br /><br />This is done by adding a significant new feature that allows people to send and receive messages, to and from anyone with a phone number, and not just those on Facebook, it added.<br /><br />The Messenger is a stand-alone mobile application and is free to download. It will use customer's existing data plan.<br /><br />People who do not have the Messenger app on their phone will receive chats and messages sent to them wherever they log into Facebook.<br /><br />While an update to Messenger for Android is available today, the Messenger accounts will become available over the next few weeks.<br /><br />Facebook has over 50 million users in India. </p>
<p>Facebook today launched a new messenger app for Android phones, using which users, including those without a Facebook account, can send and receive messages to and from anyone with a phone number.</p>.<p>The social networking giant has partnered with all major carriers and device manufacturers for this service.<br /><br />"Users can now sign up for a messenger account with just their name and phone number, so they can send messages to their phone contacts instantly," Facebook said in a statement.<br /><br />This is being launched on Messenger for Android, first in India, Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela and South Africa, with other countries shortly after, it added.<br /><br />"The goal is to make the new messenger experience better by expanding its reach and giving its users the ability to connect with all of their phone contacts," it said.<br /><br />This is done by adding a significant new feature that allows people to send and receive messages, to and from anyone with a phone number, and not just those on Facebook, it added.<br /><br />The Messenger is a stand-alone mobile application and is free to download. It will use customer's existing data plan.<br /><br />People who do not have the Messenger app on their phone will receive chats and messages sent to them wherever they log into Facebook.<br /><br />While an update to Messenger for Android is available today, the Messenger accounts will become available over the next few weeks.<br /><br />Facebook has over 50 million users in India. </p>