Can I use Messenger without a Facebook account?

Facebook released Messenger as a standalone app in 2011 and many people were wondering how relevant the standalone Messenger app would be. But over the course of the last decade, the app has evolved to contain a lot of cool features, like group chats and voice chatting.

Messenger allows users to message friends and family across various devices. The fact that it works across almost any device and operating system makes this app attractive to users who need to keep up with messages across multiple platforms.

Facebook has done a good job of keeping Messenger up to date. But with Facebook always being in the news for some kind of data breach, many people may wonder if you can use Messenger without a Facebook account.

So, can you use Messenger without Facebook?

Short answer: No

For a short period of time, Facebook did allow users to use the Messenger app without having a Facebook account. Users would be able to message their friends by using their phone number, but the company ended that functionality a couple of years ago. Now, if you want to use the app, you have to have a Facebook account. However, there is one small loophole.

READ MORE: Messenger adds new shortcuts for silent messages and more

You are still able to use Messenger if you previously had an account. So if you had an account in the past, but deleted it, you can use those same credentials to log into Messenger. Just to note, everybody that you were friends with on that account would now be able to message you.

And while this workaround will give you some of the app’s functionality, some features, such as sending and receiving money, ultimately require an active account.

So there you have it. Facebook does not want you to have a Messenger account if you don’t have a Facebook account. This is really quite unfortunate, considering the PR dumpster fire that is Facebook. Messenger brings a lot of functionality to the table, but being tied to Facebook kind of sucks.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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