Social networking giant Facebook has launched a new standalone Messenger service, which it hopes will make mobile-to-mobile texting obsolete.

The service allows users to send messengers through notifications on the main Facebook page, so “friends are more likely to get them right away”.

The Messenger app is an extension of Facebook messages, so all Facebook conversations are in one place, including texts, chats, emails and messages.

“Whether you’re on your phone or on the web, you can see the full history of all your messages,” explained a statement.

Make plans with groups

Messenger will be available for both iPhone and Android as of today.

“When you are on the go, coordinating a bunch of people can be tricky, especially if plans change at the last minute,” explained Facebook engineer Lucy Zhang.

“With Messenger, you can quickly start a group conversation and message everyone at once.

“If you choose to add your location, the people you’re messaging with can easily find each other on the map.

“You can also attach photos, so everyone else can see and comment on what you’re looking at.”

For friends who are not on Facebook, the app will send them a text message, so people do not have to decide which is the best way to reach someone.