How to Use Facebook Messenger Without the App

Although social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter probably see a lot more actual user activity these days, there’s no denying that for millions of users, Facebook is still the main means of communication.

Maybe sharing photos makes more sense with something like Insta or Snapchat, but when it comes to messaging capabilities, Facebook still reigns supreme. That is, of course, until you take a look at how it treats mobile users as opposed to PC users.

The Obvious Workaround

The easiest and most common workaround is to use the desktop version of Facebook. Now, you can do this by setting your smartphone aside, and logging into your Facebook account from your laptop or personal computer.

But, if that’s not an option, you can also use your smartphone to access the browser version of Facebook from a mobile device. There is however one issue. The site isn’t mobile friendly. The interface will be hard to navigate and the responsiveness of the site won’t be ideal.

Here’s how you can do this:

1. Delete your Facebook Messenger App from your mobile device.
   
2. Open your go-to browser.
   
3. Access facebook.com/home.php.
   
4. Type in your credentials and log in.
   

Another method you can try, if this one isn’t working, is this:

1. Open your mobile browser.
   
2. Go to facebook.com and don’t log in.
   
3. Open the context menu, if your browser has this feature.
   
4. Find the check box next to the Desktop Site option.
   
5. Check the box.
   
6. Type in your credentials and log in.
   
7. Use the platform as you would use it from a desktop or laptop.
   

There may be slight differences between the various mobile browsers. It’s also possible that Facebook is continually trying to restrict user access to messages and other important interactive and communication features, to anyone that tries to access the main version of the website from a mobile device, instead of using the messenger app.

Things to Keep in Mind

If you just type in facebook.com in your browser and attempt to access your Facebook account like this, you’ll be automatically redirected to the mobile version of the site. The mobile version is more user-friendly but it won’t let you use the messenger. It will force you to download the messenger app again.

When you’re using the desktop version or full version of Facebook in your mobile browser you may not be able to send or receive video calls. This experience is similar to that of the Facebook Messenger Lite version of the messenger app.

You should also know that not all mobile browsers may allow you to make full use of the desktop browser version of Facebook. Try using Chrome or Opera for better results.

Do Bookmarked Pages Still Work?

Another workaround that some users turned to was bookmarking the following page:

1. https://www.Facebook.com/messages
   

Unfortunately, this was a short-term fix, one that didn’t work for everyone. In order for it to do so, users would have to use the browser version of Facebook, reach the messages section, and bookmark the messages page.

By doing that, they could then quickly access recent messages without having the app installed. However, this method seems to have lost its usefulness, as Facebook pushed the messenger app more and more onto its users.

Reasons to Want a Messenger App-Free Way of Checking Facebook Messages

There are two reasons why many Facebook users are unhappy with this policy that doesn’t allow mobile users to check their messages without having the messenger app installed.

The main reason is that the messenger app, even the Lite version, are resource hogs. And, since not everyone is using the latest generation smartphones, having either one installed on a smartphone can make using other apps and features more difficult.

Another reason is that of privacy concerns. Facebook’s track record in this area is almost abysmal by popular standards. Whether or not it tracks everything you do, or it listens in, or not, there’s still the undisputable fact that once installed, the Facebook Messenger App will always be online, running in the background, until you turn off your phone.

As such, whether or not for privacy reasons or for wanting a less resource-costly method of checking their messages, mobile Facebook users have every right to demand to enjoy the same benefits as all other desktop Facebook users from the browser version of the platform.

Did You Cave in or Are You Still Trying to Bypass the Messenger?

Unfortunately, as you can see, there aren’t that many options of doing what you want on Facebook, as long as you’re using its services from a smartphone or tablet. That said, for the time being, accessing the desktop version still works, even though it involves a messy browsing experience.

Given the circumstances, what do you do to check your Facebook messages? Do you periodically install the Facebook Messenger App on your phone to check messages in bulk? Do you keep the full version desktop page bookmarked on your browser? Or did you find a third-party app that does something we don’t know about yet? Let us know in the comments section below.