Facebook Messenger reaches 500 million users

Facebook is announcing that its dedicated messaging app, Facebook Messenger, has now reached over 500 million users, a significant leap from the 200 million users in April. Launched in 2011, Facebook Messenger became an instant hit, eventually shadowing text messaging as the number one tool for communication. However, Facebook was criticized in April after the social network removed Messenger from the Facebook app, forcing users to download a separate Messenger app on their mobile devices.

But it turned out to be good move, judging from the 500 million milestone today. In fairness to Facebook, the messaging app has been constantly updated and is definitely getting better. The capability to send stickers, videos, files, and make calls proved too good to be ignored.

“I’m happy to announce that there are now 500 million of you using Messenger every month. It’s an exciting milestone, but what’s even more energizing is the opportunity to come to work every day to build the best way for half a billion of you — and many more to come — to stay in touch, communicate, and express yourselves better with the people you care about most,” said David Marcus, the Vice President of Messaging at Facebook. “There is still a lot for us to do and we’re looking forward to bringing more innovation and updates to you in the coming months.”