Why is Facebook trying to force you to use its Messenger app?

Soon Facebook's smartphone users will have to install its separate app to chat, as social network phases out mobile web version. But what's in it for Zuckerberg and co?

Facebook is forcing users of its mobile site to install its separate Messenger app if they want use chat, just as it has already done for users of its Android and iOS app.

The Facebook app for Android and iOS began encouraging people to install Facebook Messenger in August 2014. Some users switched to using the Facebook mobile site on their phone browser instead, which still had Facebook's built-in chat - but now that mobile site work-around has been marked for death, too. Facebook is prompting users to install its Messenger app, while warning it will be their only option soon. The change should also affect web wrappers such as Metal, which is currently blocking the warning message.