Don't like the Facebook Messenger app? Here's how to avoid using it

Don't want to use Facebook's Messenger app due to security concerns? One way to bypass the app is to use a basic access version of Facebook. — dpa

Facebook Messenger is doubtless a useful app for staying in contact with friends and family, but it comes at, for some, a steep price: The messaging app collects a lot of its users' sensitive data.

What's more, the security of users' communications on Messenger is questionable at best, and now Facebook has announced the introduction of auto-play video ads that will start playing in between messages.

So, what can users do?

For those who don't want to completely give up on chatting with friends via Facebook, experts recommend using Facebook's basic access version, which takes users to an age-old version of Facebook designed for those without a smartphone. The basic version may not have all the cool features or the glamorous look you're used to, but it's got everything you need to read messages from your friends.

One tip: If you add the login page to your browser's bookmarks or save a direct link on your homepage, you won't even have to input the link manually.

Unfortunately, however, it's not possible to access messages via the normal Facebook website when using a browser on your mobile phone.

If you don't like the plainness of the basic version and don't like the Messenger app, then another alternative is to pull up the web version of Messenger with Chrome for iOS or Android and simply ask for the desktop version of the page to be displayed, which you can do by clicking on the menu at the top right corner of your screen. — dpa