New users need Facebook account to sign up into Messenger

San Francisco: If you are new to Facebook Messenger, you can’t sign up without a Facebook account anymore.

Unlike the old days where your phone number was enough, Facebook Messenger now requires a Facebook account to sign up, reports VentureBeat.

The social networking giant has quietly removed the ability to sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account.

“If you’re new to Messenger, you’ll notice that you need a Facebook account to chat with friends and close connections,” a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report on Thursday.

“We found that the vast majority of people who use Messenger already log in through Facebook and we want to simplify the process. If you already use Messenger without a Facebook account, no need to do anything,” the spokesperson added.