In its bid to ensure all messages sent from users' smartphones go through its services, Facebook is testing an SMS function within its Messenger app.
A user who is seeing the new feature told the Android Police they have been able to use Messenger as their SMS client. SMSes are differentiated in the app by colour: blue is used for normal instant messages and purple for SMSes.
However, the app does not yet combine SMS and instant messages from the same person.
9to5 Google said Facebook has played around with this feature before but it pulled SMS support from its Messenger app in 2013. "At the time, it said there wasn't enough interest or engagement from its users to make it worthwhile."
Facebook has not released a statement on the new feature and it is not known when it will be available to all users.
Last year, Facebook tested out using services such as Uber from within the Messenger app. It also introduced payment integration, video calling and started testing a personal assistant.
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