If you want to send direct messages via Facebook with your smartphone, you should use Messenger. He also wants to manage the SMS at the same time. These tricks help against that.

As our cooperation partner checked4you reports, in May 2014 the social network Facebook began removing direct messages from the app and making them only sendable and received via Messenger. Two years later, the mobile website m.facebook.com was also introduced. Since the beginning of 2017, Facebook has also introduced its Messenger as a desktop version for PC, thereby burying the chat windows at the bottom right.

And it continues: Some users of Android smartphones report that Facebook Messenger is suddenly managing their SMS. This can be reversed in a few steps (see below).

If you don't want to use Messenger, you can use the following trick on your smartphone, tablet or PC:

With a different URL it still works without forced messenger

You can access the mobile Facebook page for classic cell phones at https://mbasic.facebook.com It doesn't look as stylish, but it works like the app. After logging in, you will find the “Messages” link in the bar at the top. On the desktop PC, you can open a second tab in your browser and use the normal Facebook page in one tab and the news in the other tab.

Individual smartphone users report that the old messaging function no longer exists on mbasic.facebook.com (see comments below). We can still reach the news using different smartphones, operating systems and browsers.

Of course, you could also simply use another messenger. You can find an overview on the NRW consumer advice center

Facebook Messenger demands many rights

One wonders why Facebook wants to bring its Messenger to devices so urgently - Marc Zuckerberg's company has already bought WhatsApp, which is the most used messenger anyway (more than a billion users worldwide). In addition, its terms of use now stipulate that user data is sent to Facebook.

The forced installation of the messenger is sharply criticized in numerous reviews of the app in Google's Play Store. But there is also bullying because the list of required access permissions is long. This is what it looked like in the Play Store for the March 21, 2018 version:

  • identity
    • Find accounts on the device
    • Add or remove accounts
    • Read contact cards
  • contacts
    • Find accounts on the device
    • Read contacts
    • Change contacts
  • Location
    • Approximate location (network based)
    • Precise location (GPS and network based)
  • SMS
    • Read SMS or MMS
    • Receive MMS
    • Receive SMS
    • send a SMS
    • Edit SMS or MMS
  • phone
    • Call phone numbers directly
    • Divert outgoing calls
    • Read call history
    • Get phone status and identity
  • Photos/Media/Files
    • Read USB storage contents
    • Change or delete USB storage contents
  • Storage
    • Read USB storage contents
    • Change or delete USB storage contents
  • camera
    • Take pictures and videos
  • microphone
    • Record audio
  • WiFi connection information
    • Retrieve WiFi connections
  • Device ID & call information
    • Get phone status and identity
  • Miscellaneous
    • Download files without notification
    • Retrieve data from the Internet
    • Get network connections
    • Create accounts and set passwords
    • Read battery data
    • pair with Bluetooth devices
    • Send continuous broadcast
    • Change network connectivity
    • Access to all networks
    • Change audio settings
    • Control near field communication
    • Read sync settings
    • Run at startup
    • Show over other apps
    • Control vibration alarm
    • Disable hibernation
    • Enable or disable sync
    • Install shortcuts
    • Read Google service configuration

In addition, Google indicates by default that additional functions (i.e. permission requests) can be automatically added to each group during an update.

Facebook Messenger as an SMS app

Some Android users report that the messenger has suddenly managed their SMS and replaced the previous SMS app. This can happen, for example, if you tapped “Okay” when setting up the messenger app when the relevant question came up. This means that Facebook can access another communication channel and collect even more data, unless the user changes this again. It works like this:

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Source: checked4you

Open your Android smartphone's settings.

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Source: checked4you

Tap Apps.

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Source: checked4you

Tap on the gear at the top right (depending on your device, you may also see three dots or lines there).

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Source: checked4you

Tap SMS app (depending on your device, you may also need to tap “Default app selection” or something similar first).

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Source: checked4you

Tap the app you want to use to send and receive text messages in the future.

Facebook employees can read messages

Regardless of whether you use Messenger as an app or the messaging system on the Facebook page: the content can generally be read by both machines and Facebook employees. Because users can also report private messages because of their content. They are then checked by an employee of the “Community Operations Team” to see whether they violate Facebook's terms of use and, if necessary, deleted. This is how an employee from Facebook's German PR agency explains it when we asked.

Facebook does offer encryption for its Messenger. But

  1. must be activated by all participants in the conversation. The messenger's frame then changes color from blue to black.
  2. Encryption only becomes active if every chat partner uses the messenger as an app. Anyone who reads and sends messages via mbasic.facebook.com or the desktop version of the Facebook page cannot activate encryption.
  3. We cannot judge how secure the encryption actually is. There is also a report button for encrypted chats.

Tip: Don't use one service for everything

If you use different programs for different campaigns, it is more difficult for the individual providers to get an idea of ​​you. And even if you send messages directly to a recipient via Facebook, the provider can read them. It's better if you use a so-called crypto messenger, which encrypts end-to-end and only makes messages visible to the recipient. A few example apps with their advantages and disadvantages can be found on the website of the NRW consumer advice center .


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )