MUMBAI: Facebook has launched a new messenger app for Android phones which will allow mobile users to sign up for a messenger account with name and phone number and send messages to their phone contacts instantly.

The app has been launched on Messenger for Android, first in India, Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela and South Africa, and then to countries soon.

"Users can now sign up for a messenger account with just their name and phone number, so they can send messages to their phone contacts instantly," Facebook said in a statement. "The goal is to make the new messenger experience better by expanding its reach and giving its users the ability to connect with all of their phone contacts."
 
The Messenger will allow anyone with a phone number, and not just those on Facebook, to send and receive messages. While an update to Messenger for Android is available today, the Messenger accounts will become available over the next few weeks. It is a stand-alone mobile application and is free to download. It will use customer‘s existing data plan.

People who do not have the Messenger app on their phone will receive chats and messages sent to them wherever they log on to Facebook.