Facebook: Text Messaging As You Know It Is Dead

By Tim Beyers – Dec 7, 2012 at 5:31PM

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The social network aims to own texting, and occupy even more of your time.

Text messaging is passe.

Or at least that's message coming from Facebook (META 0.14%).

At this month's LeWeb conference in Paris, the social network talked up enhancements to its Facebook Messenger app. The goal? Replace SMS with a more enhanced platform for multimedia messaging wherever possible, and in the process lead unexposed populations to broader use of the social network.

For now, Messenger is only available in five non-U.S. territories: Australia, Argentina, India, South America, and Venezuela, CNET's News reports. Users need only a phone number to access the service from any type of handset -- no Facebook account required.

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Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Apple at the time of publication. Check out Tim's web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.

The Motley Fool owns shares of Facebook and Apple. The Fool has bought calls on Facebook. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Facebook and Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a bull call spread position in Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.