With the plethora of messaging apps that are available, users have to jump around between apps. Messenger 10 brings together two of the world's most popular messaging services, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, into one app on Windows 10. The app also goes beyond just wrapping the services, integrating notifications directly into Windows 10 and working in some attractive design choices.
It's available for $2.99 on Windows 10 and Surface Hub.
More than a wrapper
There are plenty of web-wrappers that just place messaging services' interfaces inside the Microsoft Store. While Messenger 10 does wrap the web versions of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it does a lot more than that. It has a dark mode for Facebook Messenger you can toggle on and off, a split screen view that lets you see WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger side by side, and works with Windows 10's notification center.
While you can tell that the app isn't a from the ground up Windows 10-specific version of either service, the developer of Messenger 10 has made a good app that feels much more native than the first-party WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger apps.
Is it really more convenient?
Apps like Messenger 10 aren't a new idea. I reviewed Clatter last year which does a similar job while also integrating with other services. For me as a user, an app like Messenger 10's value comes down to what it does to enhance a messaging service, rather than just combining them. I don't personally mind having two, three, or more apps open. In fact, sometimes I only want Facebook Messenger or another specific service open but don't want anything else popping up with notifications.
But if you find flicking between applications irritating and want to use two of the most popular services in the world within one app, Messenger 10 does a good job. I especially like the notifications integration which plays nicer with Windows 10 much more than WhatsApp or Facebook's first party applications.
Overall thoughts on Messenger 10
Messenger 10 is a solid app that combines two of the world's most popular messaging services. While it's limited to Facebook and WhatsApp, it handles these services well and integrates them into Windows 10's notification center.
The developer of the app has done a good job incorporating Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp with Windows 10. I wish Facebook would spend more time making apps for their services that take advantage of specific aspects of Windows 10. But since that isn't the case, it's great to see third-party developers step up.
If you want to consolidate how many apps you need to message your friends, Messenger 10 is worth a look.
Pros
- Reduces apps required to message people
- Integrates with Windows 10
- Has a versatile design
- Low cost
Cons
- Limited to two services
