How to use Messenger without a Facebook account
Facebook Messenger lets you send a message to anyone on Facebook, regardless of your friendship status (unless they’ve blocked you). If you are, in fact, friends on the social network, you can also call them or initiate a video chat.
As with any popular app, Messenger has changed over time. New features were added and bug fixes were implemented. Did you know you can set nicknames for your contacts? Or that you can start a group chat? Tap or click here for five things you can do on Facebook Messenger that you may not have known about.
Until a few years ago, you could create a Messenger account without ever having had a Facebook account. That’s not the case anymore, but there’s a way to get around this obstacle.
Do you even Facebook?
It’s understandable if you’ve avoided using Facebook or deactivated your account. Facebook is known for its invasive tracking methods, which don’t stop when you’re off the site. Facebook’s pixel tracking technology lets website developers track Facebook users for ad targeting.
Facebook introduced the Privacy Center to let you know what the social network collects on you. You can review the data and change the settings to reduce the impact on your privacy. Tap or click here to learn more.
Facebook comes along with the option to use the Messenger app, which is excellent for keeping in touch with your Facebook friends. Until a couple of years ago, you just needed a phone number to use Messenger. Now you need a Facebook account, but the catch is that it doesn’t have to be active.
That’s right. You can set up a Facebook account solely to use Messenger then deactivate it immediately. If you currently have a deactivated account, you can use it to create a Messenger account without reactivating it.
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Using Messenger without a Facebook account
If you never had a Facebook account or deleted the one you had, you can still use Messenger to create one then deactivate the Facebook account. Here’s how:
- Download the Messenger app from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store.
- Open Messenger and tap Create New Account.
- Fill out the fields to create a Facebook account, tapping Next on each tab until you get to the Sign Up button. Note: Use the first and last name you want displayed in your Messenger account.
- You’ll be asked to verify your account via text or email.
- Once your Facebook account is created, you’ll have an active Messenger account as well.
Your email is being tracked – Learn the secret advertisers don’t want you to know
It’s impossible not to be tracked online. Still, you can take steps that make a difference.
If you don’t like the idea of advertisers knowing everything about you, shut them out. Tap or click here for simple, actionable steps you can take now.
How hackers, scammers and companies know when you open an email and use it against you
It’s hard to believe that a single pixel could ruin your life. After all, a pixel measures about 0.0104-inches. If you took a mechanical pencil and drew the smallest mark you could, this dot would be much larger than a typical pixel.