Facebook for Android sees improved phone integration

Facebook has announced a forthcoming update to its Android Facebook Messenger app that will allow users to use the service to send messages to their phone contacts without needing a Facebook account.

All you will need is your name and phone number and with the app downloaded you’ll be able to start messaging your contacts straight away.

The app also allows group conversations and photo sharing and of course it’ll work over both Wi-Fi connections and a 3G/4G data tariff.

The update is being made available from today, although it’ll start in other regions and rollout globally ‘in the coming weeks’.

Facebook also revealed the changes would arrive on iOS but hasn’t yet announced a timeframe. It’ll probably come sometime after the Android version has been pushed to all regions.

The news follows reports that Facebook is in talks to acquire messaging service WhatsApp, which provides a similar set of features for users to message contacts independently of SMS text messaging.

It remains plausible that Facebook is looking to integrate WhatsApp with its existing product catalogue and this new app may be the first step in that process.