Facebook Messenger Tops 1B Android Installs
Source: Stephanie Mlot
Facebook Messenger this week earned its place among the elite group of Android apps that have been downloaded more than 1 billion times.
The news comes from Messenger lead David Marcus, who posted a photo displaying the Google Play Store's 1 Billion Downloads badge.
"Happy to make it to the very exclusive Android 1 billion+ downloads club," Marcus wrote. The image was "liked" by colleagues Mark Zuckerberg and Tom Stocky, among hundreds of users.
Facebook and Google are the only two companies with 1 billion-plus bragging rights: According to TechCrunch, Messenger joins Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as Gmail, YouTube, Google Search, and Google Maps.
The social network's chat service in November topped 500 million users across platforms―likely a result of the forced migration to the standalone Facebook Messenger application.
But in the months since, the company has launched new features for the app, including a dedicated Messenger website that removes the distractions of News Feed, and mobile caller ID. Last week, Facebook also updated the iOS and Android apps with new ways to share your current location with friends and family.
Meanwhile, Facebook Messenger is also reportedly tackling mobile games. Spotted Wednesday by TechCrunch, the Doodle Draw title (above) is now available on the Messenger platform. To access, tap the More icon (three dots) at the bottom of the screen, then scroll through the list to download Doodle Draw for free.
In the vein of the once-popular Draw Something (the mobile game acquired by the troubled Zynga), users are encouraged to "draw awesome things, share them with friends, and see if they can guess what you drew."
Got artist's block? Pick from an in-game word list, or pull inspiration from your environment. Replay friends' guesses and earn coins to buy more colors. The game is available now for iOS, Android, and the Web.
| }
|